R/C car with demolition features

A radio controlled R/C car including,

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to radio controlled (R/C) cars.

2. Brief Description of Prior Art

There have been many remote controlled cars. Some patents for remote controlled cars reveal features that react to the car experiencing an impact.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,961 is an R/C car that has a plurality of panels 58-62 that come off on impact. The performance of the car degrades as impacts occur. This car is very unique but is too complex to manufacture at a reasonable price.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved R/C car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A radio controlled R/C car including,a body supported on a plurality of wheels including at least one drive wheel,a remote control in communication with a controller on the car,a plurality of removable panels each panel including a latch to hold the panel in a first position on the car body and each latch associated with a plunger movable from a first position holding the latch in place to a second position releasing the latch, a first spring biasing the plunger to the first position and a second spring loaded by the latch the second spring biasing the panel away from the first position such that the panel springs away from the car body to simulate a crash. Once all the panels are released a sound plays and a driver ejects from the car and the car stops. Two or more cars can be used in a demolition derby where the last car still running with a driver would be the winner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1shows an R/C car100. The car100includes a molded body102. The car100includes panels that are spring loaded and that pop off the car100when impact occurs. The car100includes a remote controller104and four panels, a hood110, two doors112and114and a rear portion116. There is an activation trigger such as plunger118on the driver's side. An impact on the plunger118will cause the door112to come off. Each panel110-116has a plunger118that will trigger its release. As seen inFIG. 4there is a plunger118to control each of the four panels110-116. The remote104allows a user to control the car100remotely such as remote speed control and remote steering.

FIG. 2shows the panels110-116that come off the car100.

In use the panels110-116come off one at a time as the plunger118associated with that panel110-116is depressed. For simplicityFIG. 2shows all panels110-116coming off all at once, in use this could only occur if all four plungers118were depressed at the same time.FIG. 2also shows the driver120ejecting. A controller (seeFIG. 4) senses when all four panels110-116are released and then ejects the driver120. The driver's seat122can conceal a spring loaded release not shown. The body102includes a lower body130to which a plurality of wheels140are attached. At least one wheel140is a drive wheel powered by a motor240seeFIG. 4.

FIG. 3shows details of a typical plunger118and the spring loaded release150. Each panel110-116includes a latch152that is integrally molded with the panel110-116. The plunger118includes an outer portion118athat can be impacted by objects or other cars. The plunger118also includes a concealed portion160that includes a slot162and a surface163that engages a projection164on the latch152. The projection164includes a cam portion166. The spring loaded release150can include a housing170that can be integrally molded with the lower body130. The housing170also includes a support172that supports a first spring174. The first spring174holds the plunger118in a first position as shown inFIG. 3. Pressure acting on the plunger118, as represented by arrow180, will compress the first spring174. The housing170includes a second support182that supports a second spring184. The second spring184includes a coaxial rod186. Movement of the latch152toward the support182(as shown by arrow190) will make up an electrical contact in support182that will electrically connect wires200and202such that a controller (FIG. 5) can sense the presence of the latch152.

FIG. 4shows the R/C car100underneath. The molded lower body130supports four spring loaded releases150, one on each side of the car100. The molded lower body130also includes four bumpers220placed to trigger the plunger118on another car. Each spring loaded release150includes a wire pair200,202that connect a contact in the spring loaded release150to a controller230so that the controller230can sense the presence of a panel110-116.FIG. 5shows the operation300of the controller230. The car100is first turned on302. Any panels110-116that are not connected to the car100can be inserted304. The driver120can also be inserted306. Once the car100starts an engine sound will start308and keep playing as long as the car100runs. When the car100is hit in such a way that a plunger118is depressed310a panel associated with that plunger118is released312and a sound314such as a crash sound, will play. The sound played314can be a random sound chosen from a first set of sounds. If after a part is ejected some parts remain on the car100the car100will continue to operate308. If all the panels110-116are knocked off316the car100then the driver120is ejected320and a random sound from a second set of sounds will play322and the car100will stop324. In operation the car100is turned on with a switch222on the controller230. Each panel110-116is placed on the car100. To place a panel110-116on the car100the latch152is placed into the housing170and the cam166of projection164aligns with slot162and pushes the plunger118against first spring174, then the plunger164pushes against second spring184until the plunger118drops into the loaded position shown inFIG. 3with the plunger surface163resting against the projection164. As can be seen inFIG. 3if the plunger118moves toward support172against spring174until the surface163disengages from projection164then the panel latch152will be released from the housing170under force supplied by the second spring184and then user will see one of the panels110-116fly off and will hear a random sound from a first set of sounds. The first set of random sounds might include a crash sound or a simulated voice for example. As each panel110-116is released a switch in support182senses the release with wire pair200/202so that the controller232knows a panel is released. Once all four panels110-116are released a sound from a second set of random sounds plays and the driver120is ejected and the car110stops. Referring toFIG. 3it will be understood that once a panel110-116is released impacts on that plunger118will have no further effect. A game can be played where several cars100are running, in the game the last car running will win.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.