CB vehicle toy

A toy vehicle such as a child's toy truck or tricycle which includes a toy citizens band radio is disclosed. A microphone of the CB vehicle toy is detachable from the vehicle body except for an electrical wire connecting the microphone to the electronics in the vehicle toy. The microphone is designed to be hand-held by a child playing with the toy. When the toy CB radio is turned on and the transmit button on the microphone is on, then sounds received by the microphone are transmitted through a speaker associated with the vehicle toy. In the receive mode, the toy CB radio generates static similar to that heard over a real CB radio when receiving.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to vehicle toys and in one of its aspects to a 
citizens band radio truck toy. Another aspect of this invention relates to 
a citizens band radio tricycle. 
In the past, vehicular toys have come equipped with apparatus for 
generating acoustic signals as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,080,678 issued 
to Girz. The Girz invention relates to vehicular toys which have an 
acoustic signaling device for producing musical or noisy sounds such as 
the sounds made by an automotive vehicle including horns or sirens. 
Some toy vehicles have come equipped with phonographs as shown in U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,523,388 issued to Glass, et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,848 issued to 
Marshall so that as the toy is pulled or pushed, the phonograph record 
played the prerecorded sounds. In all of these vehicular toys, the 
varieties of sound made by a particular vehicle were limited, and none of 
the sounds were of the child's own creation such as through a microphone 
that would pick up the child's voice. 
Toy radio stations have been used in the past to allow a child to simulate 
the actions of a radio station operator. One such toy radio station is 
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,373 issued to Heller. The Heller patent 
discloses a radio station with some features of a telephone system and 
some features of an audible signal system. The toy radio stations of the 
past were substantially stationary in character. Further, the toy radio 
stations did not allow most children to simulate the activities of adults 
which the children could observe first hand since not many adults operate 
sophisticated radio stations. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular toy 
including a radio such that a child can simulate the activities of a class 
of adults which the child can observe. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide a toy CB radio which 
exhibits many of the characteristics of a real CB radio. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a moderate cost, 
entertaining toy. 
A preferred embodiment of the current invention includes a toy truck with a 
microphone, switchable between on and off, detachably mountable on the 
vehicle body, and a speaker mounted in the engine compartment of the toy 
truck. The toy truck also includes a source of electrical power and an 
electric circuit, switchable between on and off, incorporating the 
electrical power source, the microphone and the speaker. The electrical 
circuit includes a means for generating audible noise from the speaker 
when the circuit is on and the microphone is off, and means for 
transmitting electrical signals from the microphone to the speaker when 
the circuit is on and the microphone is also on. 
Another embodiment of the current invention is a tricycle including a toy 
citizens band radio as described. 
These and other objects, advantages and features of this invention will be 
apparent from the following description taken with reference to the 
accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiments of the 
invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now the the drawings, in FIG. 1 a child 10 is illustrated playing 
with a CB truck toy 12 according to this invention. Child 10 holds a 
microphone 14 in his left hand. Microphone 14 is switchable between on and 
off by means of a microphone switch 15, shown in FIG. 2, and is connected 
to a truck 16 by electrical cord 18 which is preferably a coiled wire as 
often used with citizens band radios. 
A speaker 20 for converting electrical signals into sound is mounted toward 
the front of engine compartment 22 as shown in FIG. 2. Most of the 
electrical components of the CB vehicle toy are mounted on circuit board 
24 within engine compartment 22. An electrical power source for operating 
the CB truck toy 12 such as a 9 volt transistor battery 26 is preferably 
mounted underneath truck body 16 so that the battery or batteries are 
easily accessible but still hidden from view in normal use. 
One embodiment 28 of the electrical circuit of this invention is 
illustrated in partial block diagram and partial schematic illustration in 
FIG. 3. Electrical circuit 28 is switchable between on and off by means of 
power switch 29 and incorporates electrical power source 26 which supplies 
the power for the biasing voltages V1, V2 and V3. Electrical circuit 28 
further incorporates microphone 14 and speaker 20. 
When power is available at V1, and microphone switch 15 is not depressed, 
then power is supplied at node 32 to a noise generator 30. When microphone 
switch 15 is depressed, on the other hand, there is a DC short circuit to 
ground since only microphone switch 15 and a winding 34 of a microphone 
input transformer 36 are in series between node 32 and ground, and both 
are DC short circuits. 
When power is available at V1 and microphone switch 15 is depressed, the 
electrical circuit acts as a means for transmitting electrical signals 
received from the microphone to the speaker. The AC voltage at node 32 
corresponds to the AC voltage across winding 34 of transformer 36 which in 
turn corresponds to the sounds received by microphone 14. A capacitor 38 
is substantially a short circuit between node 32 and a node 40 to the AC 
electrical signal at node 32. The AC electrical signal at node 40 is then 
amplified by a first amplifier 42 and a second amplifier 44 before being 
converted into sound by speaker 20 after being transmitted through an 
output transformer 46. 
When power is available at V1 and microphone switch 15 is not despressed, 
then power is supplied to noise generator 30 which automatically generates 
a static electrical signal which is transmitted through the two amplifier 
stages 42 and 44 and output transformer 46 to speaker 20. Noise generator 
30 in combination with amplifiers 42 and 44 and output transformer 46 form 
one means for generating audible noise from the speaker when the circuit 
is on and the microphone is off so that the noise heard from speaker 20 
sounds similar to the noise heard from a citizens band radio when it is 
receiving. 
The electric circuit as shown in FIG. 4 is substantially the same as that 
shown in FIG. 3. No single capacitor shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to the 
single capacitor 38 of FIG. 3, and several circuit elements are shared by 
the various blocks of the block diagram, but the operating principles are 
substantially the same. Radio antennae 48 are nonfunctional except for 
providing a realistic appearance. 
An electronic horn can be activated by depressing horn button 50. The 
circuitry for the horn can be entirely separate from that for the CB 
radio, or various elements can be shared such as speaker 20 or the speaker 
and amplifiers 42 and 44. An electronic horn which can be sounded by the 
child adds an additional degree of reality to the toy. 
As can be seen from the description, and the accompanying drawings, the 
present invention is one well suited for providing entertainment for 
children and allowing children to simulate the actions of adults seen in 
their everyday world. In particular, the present invention is one well 
suited to allow children to indulge in fantasies about one of America's 
favorite folk heros, the trucker. Furthermore, the CB truck toy of this 
invention can be made as a relatively inexpensive toy. 
An alternative embodiment 52 of the current invention is a combination toy 
citizens band radio and other children's vehicle such as a tricycle 54 
shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment the electronics of the invention are 
preferably enclosed in a case 56 which in appearance looks like a citizens 
band radio such as installed in cars and trucks. Case 56 can be mounted on 
or integral with tricycle 54. The electronics of this embodiment function 
the same as that described in the previous embodiment. 
Again, the toy of this invention allows a child to simulate the actions of 
adults which the child can see in his everyday world. The child can 
generate his own noise rather than being limited to prerecorded sounds. 
With the static noise generating feature, the toy radio makes noises 
similar to a real citizens band radio, and like a real citizens band 
radio, when transmitting, the noise substantially ceases. 
From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted 
to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with 
other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the 
apparatus. 
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of 
utility and may be employed without reference to other features and 
subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the 
claims. 
As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing 
from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set 
forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as 
illustrative and not in a limiting sense.