Wall mounted slot car track with moving accessories

A combination decorative kinetic poster and vertical vehicle toy racing game includes a substrate having colorful indicia for providing a decorative design. The substrate is designed to be vertically hung on a wall and is capable of supporting complementary kinetic decorative mobiles that extend from the substrate. A track member extends across the substrate to form a continuous path. Toy vehicles can be mounted for translating across the track member and operative interacting with the kinetic mobiles to cause a kinetic movement. The operator can be provided with hand controls for driving the toy vehicles to race across the track set.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a decorative kinetic poster display in 
combination with a vertical road racing game which animates kinetic mobile 
features of the poster display during the operation of toy vehicles. 
2. Description of Related Art 
Various forms of posters have become popular decorative items in children's 
and teenager's rooms. Frequently these posters have a particular fad theme 
or relate to a movie actor, rock star, sports star, or popular toy figure. 
Usually the poster assumes a static configuration and simulates a 
traditional wall picture hanging as far as its decorative purpose on a 
vertical wall or door of the occupant's room. The poster does not provide 
any additional play feature, and usually remains only a passive decorative 
item in the furnishing of the room. 
Children have frequently played with numerous forms of toy vehicle sets, 
including train sets and toy vehicle racing games. Usually a series of 
track segments are provided which can be subjectively put together by the 
child on the floor of his room or on a separate support member. The rails 
on the tracks are energized by a transformer and toy vehicles are mounted 
on the rails and guided by a single pin and slot arrangement. Individual 
hand controllers are frequently utilized to race the toy vehicles as a toy 
racing vehicle set. The racing set is usually dismantled or stored after 
use, since it can occupy a substantial portion of the horizontal surface 
of the room. Accordingly, a barrier to the enjoyment of a toy racing set 
has been the necessity to set up the tracks and reassemble the racing set 
when it is desired to be used. 
An example of a toy vehicle racing game can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,386,777, wherein toy vehicles are magnetically coupled by the armature 
of the electric motor to varying thicknesses of metal rails to enable the 
vehicles to race from a horizontal surface across a vertical loop that 
extends up the side of a wall. 
A slotted track racing system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,154, with 
the toy vehicles being held on a track by a guide beam. 
Other examples of slotted racing car apparatus can be seen in the following 
patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,631,853, 3,367,657, 3,510,223, 3,411,783, 
4,066,211, 4,163,555, 4,697,812, 4,728,104, and 4,997,187. 
The German Auslegeschrift No. 1,137,663 discloses a toy train having guide 
pins that can be moved on a rail, while Italian Patent No. 512,304 
discloses a toy vehicle racing system. 
The provision of a kinetic poster in combination with a vertical road 
racing set, in the manner as set forth hereinafter, has not been taught in 
this field. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a decorative wall poster having kinetic 
mobiles which can interact with a vertical vehicle toy set to provide a 
colorful play action wall hanging toy for a child's room. A lightweight 
substrate having a planar surface configuration can support decorative 
designs which can further include one or more kinetic decorative mobiles 
suspended out from the substrate surface. The substrate can comprise a 
light-weight composite plastic structure which permanently mounts a 
continuous track set. The substrate is fastened to hang vertically from a 
wall surface so that it does not detract from usage of the floor space of 
the room. The track set extends across the substrate and adjacent or 
through the kinetic decorative mobiles so that when a vehicle is driven 
across the track set, it will interact with the mobiles and cause kinetic 
movement of the mobiles. For example, a simulated human skull mobile with 
movable eyes can be positioned adjacent the track set so that a vehicle 
will strike a support member connected to the eyes of the skull and cause 
the eyes to reciprocate as if it is glancing about the room. The vertical 
alignment of the substrate will permit gravity to reposition the eyes to 
their desired static position. Other kinetic mobiles such as rotatable 
noise generators, reflective strips, rotatable indicators, etc. can be 
used. 
Preferably, the vertical road racing feature of the decorative wall panel 
will include a pair of rails on the track set to enable a child to race 
against another vehicle or to race against another child controlling the 
other vehicle. A transformer can be directly connected to an AC output, 
and hand controllers can be connected to the individual rails and the 
transformer, to permit each child to control the operation of a vehicle. 
The hand controllers can be advantageously hung from an edge of the 
substrate when not in use. Each of the rail pairs includes a central 
elongated slotted opening with retention flanges forming the perimeters of 
the opening. Each of the toy vehicles includes at least one retainer 
member suspended from the chassis so that it can interlock with the 
elongated opening in the track to maintain the toy vehicle operative in a 
vertical plane. Preferably, a pair of retainer members at, respectively, 
the front and rear of the toy vehicle are used. The rear retainer member 
may or may not interlock with the slotted opening, depending on the skill 
level of the operator. The relative dimensions of the retention members 
and the placement of magnetic traction members on the chassis ensures that 
power contact pads will be maintained in contact with power rails to 
enable movement of the toy vehicle relative to the vertical surface. The 
retention members ensure that the vehicle remains within the magnetic 
field of the magnetic traction members. These components keep the toy 
vehicle close enough to the vertical substrate so that the rear wheels 
connected to the electric motor will not slip to a degree that renders the 
vehicle inoperative, regardless of the toy vehicle's position on the 
vertical track set. 
The rear retention members are further replaceable to adjust the skill 
level required of the player. Thus, a retention member that will release 
from the slotted opening will allow a spinout on a curve that would render 
the vehicle inoperative.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the 
art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes 
contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various 
modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in 
the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been 
defined herein specifically to provide a kinetic poster display and 
vertical road racing set. 
Referring to FIG. 2, a kinetic poster and vertical road racing set 2 is 
disclosed. As can be seen, a colorful poster of an action figure 4 is 
disclosed which can be printed on a substrate 6. Mounted on the substrate 
6 is a continuous loop track set 8 which can accommodate the racing of a 
pair of toy simulated racing vehicles. A transformer 10 can be directly 
plugged into an electric A.C. wall outlet so that it is suspended 
vertically on a wall. A series of eyelets 12 are embedded at the corners 
of the substrate 6 and can accommodate various forms of known hangers or 
fasteners for affixing the substrate to a vertical wall. A pair of hand 
controllers 14 and 16 are used to control the speed of the vehicles, and 
basically comprise a trigger-operated variable resistor that is 
appropriately connected to the power rail of each of the pair of rails. 
The other rail in each rail set can be connected to a common ground. A 
kinetic mobile 18 can be activated by a vehicle as it translates across 
its respective rail set. As a feature of the present invention, a 
supplemental substrate 20 can be operatively linked to the base substrate 
6. This is accomplished by removing a segment of a straight track portion 
22 and interconnecting it with transitional curved track segments 24, as 
will be described later. As shown, for example, in FIG. 1, a third 
supplemental substrate 22 can be likewise attached to expand both the 
graphics that can cover the wall and the play action features of the road 
racing set. 
As can be seen in FIG. 2, the hand controllers 14 and 16 are advantageously 
hung from hooks 24 and 26 that are positioned at the bottom of the 
substrate 6. The respective hand controllers 14 and 16 each carry 
corresponding hook members 28 and 30 that can be integrally molded into 
the body of the controllers to facilitate the hanging of the hand 
controllers from the hook members 24 and 26. As a result, in a storage 
mode the controllers are conveniently hung from the wall, and the entire 
set can be conveniently stored without impinging upon the floor space of 
the room. 
As will be explained in greater detail with regard to FIGS. 7 and 8, a 
movable eye kinetic mobile 5 can be activated by racing cars to cause the 
action of FIG. 4 to appear lifelike as its eyes scan the room. Depending 
on the size of the surface head plate, the pivoting plate supporting the 
eyes can rotate under or beyond the surface head plate. 
Another kinetic mobile 7 can simulate a baton held in the action figure's 
hand which will rotate when contacted by the toy vehicles. 
As can be appreciated, it is highly desirable for each of the substrates to 
be relatively lightweight so that the poster set 2 can be conveniently 
hung vertically on the child's wall. Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, partial 
segments of the substrate 6 are disclosed. Basically, the substrate 6 
comprises an upper planar surface 32 and a lower planar surface 34. A 
series of curved spacer members 36 integrally support the upper and lower 
planar surfaces. Each of the spacer members 36 extend in parallel fashion 
to leave porous channels that extend from one side to the other side of 
the substrate. FIG. 18 discloses a partially removed upper planar surface 
showing the spacer members 36. The substrates can be formed from a plastic 
material which is integrally linked together to provide a sturdy, but 
lightweight substrate. The respective planar surfaces can easily receive 
printed indicia to form any subjectively-desired poster configuration. 
Referring to FIGS. 14, 15, and 16, an example of a toy vehicle 38 for 
vertical racing is disclosed. A subjectively-determined housing or body 
configuration 40 is mounted on a chassis that also supports a front 
retention member 42 and a rear retention member 44. Spring-biased power 
contact members 46 and 48 are mounted between the front wheels 50 and 52. 
Because the racing surface is a vertical surface, the front wheels are 
primarily a decorative feature, and the contact members 46 and 48 are 
provided to slide upon metal rails 54 and 56. An electric motor 58 
includes magnetic field pieces 60 that are purposely positioned to be 
adjacent the surface of the respective rails 54 and 56. An additional pair 
of magnetic traction members 62 and 64 are also aligned on the chassis to 
provide an additional magnetic attraction to the respective rails 54 and 
56. The combined magnetic force is sufficient to hold the rear wheels 
against the track set 8. The electric motor 58 drives a shaft with a 
pinion gear that, in turn, drives a gear connected to the rear axle for 
driving the rear wheels 66 and 68. 
Various configurations of retention members are shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 
5c. In essence, the head portion 70 is large enough to be captured by 
flanges 72, shown in FIG. 3, which form the respective perimeters of an 
elongated slot opening in the track set 8. Preferably, there is a 
clearance of approximately 0.005-inch to 0.025-inch between the retention 
head 70 and the underside of the flanges 72. 
For toy vehicles of an HO scale size, it is believed that a clearance range 
between the retention head 70 and the underside of the slot flanges 72 
should optimally be 0.015-inch to 0.020-inch. In addition, it is believed 
that the optimum location for the magnetic field pieces 60 is centrally 
located between the wheel base and directly over the rails. The optimum 
position for the traction magnets 62 and 64 is as close to the driving 
wheels as possible, and also centrally located over the pickup rails. The 
position of the front retention member 42 is in the middle of the vehicle 
and at the contact point of the electrical pickups. 
The rear retention member 44 can likewise have a retention head 70, which 
also is designed to be positioned within the slot opening of the track set 
8. As shown in FIG. 16, the rear retention member 44 has a slotted head to 
receive a screwdriver so that it can be replaced with an alternative 
retention member, depending upon the skill level of the operator. The 
relative clearance between the retention head 70 and the underside of the 
flanges 72 is sufficient to hold the contact shoes 46 and 48 in operative 
contact with the respective rails 54 and 56 without causing a binding or 
excessive friction with the track set 8. Additionally, this clearance 
range ensures that the magnetic attraction of both the motor field pieces 
60 and the respective magnetic traction members 62 and 64 can effectively 
magnetically couple with the rails 56 and 54 to provide adequate traction 
for the rear wheels 66 and 68. This feature is important because of the 
vertical alignment of the poster substrate 6, and traction is important to 
ensure an ability to stop the toy vehicle in a vertical alignment and then 
start it again for play action by the operator. It would be possible to 
even position the substrate in an upside down arrangement, e.g., on the 
ceiling, and the combination of the retention members and magnetic field 
would still enable an operative road racing system. 
As can be seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, alternative rear retention members 74 
and 76 can be provided. The retention head 78 has a width that can escape 
from the slotted opening between the track flanges 72. Likewise, the 
retention member 76 has a retention head 80 that is only slightly larger 
than the shaft of the retention member. The purpose of these alternative 
rear retention members is to enable the skill level in the operation of 
the road racing set to be varied. Thus, with the retention members 74 and 
76, the rear of the vehicle can disengage at different speeds and turns on 
the track set 8. When the rear of the vehicle is disengaged, the 
orientation of the vehicle can then pivot about the front retention member 
82, and the electrical contact of the shoes 46 and 48 and/or the traction 
of the rear wheels 66 and 68 will render the vehicle inoperative. Thus, a 
player of a higher skill level can use, for example, the retention member 
80. If he does not closely control the speed of the vehicle as it 
approaches various turns on the track set 8, his vehicle will spin out of 
control and his opponent can then beat him. These variable-sized retention 
pins add an additional skill level to the operation of the road racing 
set. In a production version of the retention members, it is contemplated 
to use a snap-fit to the chassis of the toy vehicle as shown in FIG. 18. 
Referring to FIG. 3, a cross-sectional view of one possible embodiment of 
the track set 8 is disclosed. Support flanges 82 can contact the substrate 
6, and the individual track segments can be permanently attached to the 
substrate 6 by fasteners (not shown). A pair of elongated slots 84 and 86 
are centrally located between the respective pickup rails to thereby 
provide parallel paths for a pair of vehicles. As can be seen, the flanges 
72 can capture the retention members that are suspended from the bottom of 
the vehicle. 
An alternative embodiment of a segment of the track set 8 can be seen in 
cross-sectional view in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the elongated slots or 
openings 84 and 86 are closed not by flanges, but rather by the pickup 
rails 88. As can be seen, the pickup rails are bent to define an L-shaped 
configuration, with the underside of the pickup rails 88 performing the 
function of the flanges 72 in interfacing with the retention members. 
As seen on FIG. 6, the track set 8 can include notched open configurations 
90 positioned on the inside radius of a curved track for communicating 
with the slot that enables the retention heads of the retention members to 
be inserted within the track set and to interface with the elongated slot 
opening. This particular position ensures that the centrifugal force of 
the curved track will prevent contact of the retention members with 
notched entrance openings. Basically, the front or rear retention members 
are inserted within the notched configuration 90, and then the vehicle is 
manipulated to align the remaining retention member for mounting it within 
the elongated slot opening. As can be appreciated, when utilizing 
retention members 74 and 76 having very small retention heads 78 and 80, 
these retention members can be directly inserted within the elongated 
opening, since they are designed to be released under certain driving 
conditions. 
Referring to FIG. 21, an alternative embodiment of a track section is shown 
in cross-sectional configuration which can be used in the track set 8. In 
this embodiment, a series of spaced cross-beams 92 supply support for the 
track surface and the outer flanges 94 and 96. The track surface has 
elongated slots 98 and 100 positioned between the pickup rails. The 
underside of the surface of the track serves the direct function of the 
flanges. In essence, there is no bottom to the cavity of the slot, as 
shown in the embodiments in FIGS. 3 and 4. The cross-beam 92, however, is 
appropriately notched to provide openings 102 and 104 to accommodate the 
passing of the retention head as the vehicle crosses a support cross-beam 
92. 
As shown in FIG. 2, a straight track segment 22 can be replaced by a 
transition track segment 24 to enable supplementary poster substrates to 
be added to enlarge the display and vehicle raceway. As mentioned 
previously, one of each set of power rails is connected to a DC voltage 
source supplied by the transformer 10, while the other rail serves as a 
common ground. When interconnecting a supplementary substrate, it is 
important that the power rail and the common ground are appropriately 
matched. If the track on one of the substrates loops over itself to, in 
effect, form a FIG. 8, an outside rail member becomes, in effect, an 
inside rail member on one-half of the looping portion of the FIG. 8. When 
making an electrical connection, it is important that the integrity of the 
power rail and the common ground be appropriately matched so that the 
vehicles can be driven across any combination of sets. 
Referring to FIG. 6, a kinetic mobile 106 in the form of a human skull 
extends across a segment of the entire track set. Apertures 108 and 110 
extend through the face of the skull, which is basically a flat plate, for 
example, formed of the same type of material as the substrate. A striker 
member 112 is pivotally mounted through a pivot pin 114 to the substrate 
6. The striker member 112 can carry indicia indicating bloodshot eyes of 
the skull figure. The mobile skull member 106 will have its eyes staring 
forward when the striker member 112 is at rest and subject to a gravity 
pull in the vertical plane. When either one of the vehicles passes 
underneath the upper surface of the mobile skull 106, it will strike the 
striker member 112 and displace the eyes so that they will rock back and 
forth as if the skull is scanning from one side to the other. A 
cross-section of the skull is shown in FIG. 8 with a mounting pin 116 
being used to attach the mobile skull 106 across the track set. 
A simulated rainstorm is disclosed as a mobile rain cloud member 118. The 
upper portion or decorative plate 120 simulates the configuration and 
texture of a cloud, while a series of thin strips of metalized plastic 122 
hang down as simulated rain strips across the track set 8. The respective 
mounting pins 116 are positioned to permit the vehicles to contact the 
rain strips 122 and create movement each time the vehicles translate 
across the mobile rain cloud 118. 
An example of a noise-generating mobile 124 is disclosed in FIG. 6 and in 
cross-section in FIG. 10. In this mobile, an elongated striker member 126 
is pivotally mounted to the substrate 6 in a position adjacent a location 
wherein the track makes a 330-degree turn. Any vehicle traveling on the 
track will contact one side of the striker member 126 and will drive the 
striker member 126 to rotate. A series of indentations or grooves 128 are 
mounted in a ring configuration beneath the striker member 126, and are 
positioned to interface with a stylus 130 that is suspended from a 
flexible plastic diaphragm speaker 132. The striker member 126 forms the 
frame of the diaphragm speaker 132 and causes the speaker 132 and the 
stylus 130 to also rotate and contact the series of grooves. This contact 
will produce a grating or ratcheting noise as the vehicles travel about 
this curve. As can be appreciated, the stylus could also interface with 
other noise-generating indentations to provide alternative sounds. 
Referring to FIG. 11, the revolving flame kinetic mobile 134 extends across 
a track segment and can be contacted by either of the toy vehicles that 
are raced on the track set. The simulated flames 136 are preferably formed 
of a high impact styrene core as a bearing with an integral outer soft 
foam covering of a subjective design, as shown in FIG. 12, and is 
pivotally mounted on a pair of support posts 138 and 140. Contact with a 
toy vehicle will cause the mobile 134 to rotate. Likewise, a pair of 
cantilevered rotatable flame mobiles 142 and 144 can be individually 
contacted on the side of each toy vehicle, as shown in FIG. 13. A soft, 
flexible sponge-like material can be configured and appropriately colored 
to simulate flames. 
As can be appreciated, the provision of the kinetic mobiles on the poster 
substrate can be further designed to complement the particular decorative 
indicia that has been printed on that substrate. The kinetic mobiles that 
have been described herein are only illustrative of the potential for 
providing kinetic mobiles that can be driven by the vertically-raced toy 
vehicles. These animated features, along with an appropriate poster 
indicia, provide a wide choice of options for artists in designing 
decorative kinetic posters. While the present invention has been disclosed 
primarily with a toy vehicle racing set, it should be readily appreciated 
that other vehicles, such as trains, motorcycles, etc. can be simulated to 
comprise the racing set. 
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and 
modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured 
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, 
it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the 
invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.