Walking insect and method of assembling the same

A walking insect that comprises a torso having a set of legs and wings attached thereto. Disposed within the torso is a battery and a rotating electric motor operative to vibrate the torso. The electric motor is attached to a counterbalance and tail cone such that when the counterbalance and tail cone are rotated, the insect vibrates thereby causing the legs to move and the insect to walk. The counterbalance is adjustable in order to amplify the vibration of the insect. The insect may be sold in kit form for assembly by children as an educational toy.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
(Not Applicable) 
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
(Not Applicable) 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention generally relates to educational toys and more 
particularly to a toy that teaches children about the physical and 
biological sciences. 
There are many different types of educational toys on the market. The goal 
of such toys is to provide children with educational material while still 
being fun to play with at the same time. The toys provide useful 
information to the child in a form that makes learning enjoyable. 
The present invention provides an educational toy which can teach both 
mechanical principals and biological principals. More particularly, the 
present invention provides a walking insect kit which, when assembled, 
teaches children about the biological sciences, as well as the mechanical 
sciences. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there 
is provided a walking insect and walking insect kit that teaches children 
about mechanical principals as well a biological principals. As such, the 
walking insect comprises a torso having at least one set of flexible legs 
attached thereto. Mounted within the torso is a motor and an associated 
power source. The insect further comprises a counterbalance attached to 
the motor and rotatable thereby. The rotation of the counterbalance 
vibrates the torso and legs thereby causing the insect to walk. 
In order to vary the vibration of the insect, the counterbalance may 
comprise an eccentric member attached to the motor and a tail cone 
attached to the eccentric member. The eccentric member has a circular cam 
portion which defines a central axis and the tail cone has a secondary 
axis. The tail cone is pivotally attached to the eccentric member such 
that the secondary axis is angularly offset relative to the central axis 
for purposes of adjusting the vibration of the torso. Furthermore, the 
insect may include a weight insertable into the tail cone for adjusting 
the vibration of the torso. 
The insect may further comprise a set of wings that add realism by flapping 
when the insect is vibrated. The motor of the insect may be an electric 
motor that is powered by a battery. Furthermore, the insect may include a 
switch connected between the motor and the power source for selectively 
activating and deactivating the motor. The walking insect may be assembled 
or configured as a kit in order to teach children basic mechanical 
principals. 
In accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a method 
of assembling the walking insect described above. The method comprises the 
steps of attaching the legs and the motor to the torso. Next, the 
counterbalance is attached to the motor as well as the power source. The 
power source is attached to the torso and rotates the motor such that the 
rotation of the motor vibrates the torso and legs thereby causing the 
insect to walk. The method can further include inserting a weight into the 
counterbalance to adjust the vibration of torso.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of 
illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention only, and not 
for purposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1 perspectively illustrates a 
walking insect 10 constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment 
of the present invention. The insect 10 is a children's educational toy 
made to look like a dragonfly. The insect 10 comprises a plastic torso 12 
with three sets of legs 14a, 14b, and 14c attached thereto that support 
the torso 12 and allow the insect 10 to walk. 
As best seen in FIG. 2, the torso 12 of insect 10 comprises a top torso 
section 12a and a bottom torso section 12b which mate together. The torso 
sections 12a and 12b, when mated together, form an interior cavity which 
houses the drive mechanism for the insect 10. The torso sections 12a and 
12b are secured together through the use of a snap fitting such that the 
torso sections 12a and 12b can be frictionally engaged to one another. 
Attachable to the top torso section 12a is a plastic top body cover 18 
which is secured to the top torso section 12a through the use of pegs 20 
which are pressed into a series of corresponding peg holes 21. A spring 
clip 19 is advanceable over each peg 20 when pressed through a respective 
peg hole 21. Each spring clip 19 is advanced over a respective peg 20 
until the spring clip 19 is in abutting contact with the top torso section 
12a. Since each spring clip 19 is frictionally retained on a respective 
peg 20, the top body cover 18 is secured to a recess formed in the top 
torso section 12a when each spring clip 19 is in abutting contact with the 
top torso section 12a. The top cover 18 is easily removed from the top 
torso section 12a by prying the cover 18 to thereby release the spring 
clips 19 from respective pegs 20. As seen in FIG. 2, the top cover 18 is 
formed to resemble the top of an insect and can be formed to include body 
segments and a pair of eyes. 
The insect 10 further includes a left wing 16a and a right wing 16b 
attached to the top torso 12a with the top cover 18 and pegs 20. The wings 
16a and 16b are made from a thin, film-like plastic material such that the 
wings will flap when the torso 12 is moved. The wings 16a and 16b can be 
painted to match the colors and markings of the insect 10 that is being 
assembled. At least two of the pegs 20 are insertable into respective ones 
of a pair of holes 17 formed in the base of each wing 16a and 16b. 
Therefore, when the top cover 18 is secured to the top torso 12a, the 
wings 16a and 16b are secured in place by the pegs 20. The bases of the 
wings 16a and 16b are in laminar juxtaposition with the top cover 18 and 
the top torso 12a and are secured therebetween. 
Disposed within the cavity formed by top torso section 12a and bottom torso 
section 12b is an electric motor 22. The motor 22 is retained within the 
bottom torso section 12b with a section of double sided tape 23. The 
double sided tape 23 attaches to a bottom side of the motor 22 and the 
interior floor of bottom torso section 12b in order to secure the motor 22 
therein. Referring to FIG. 5, attached to the motor 22 via a rotating 
driveshaft 24 is a plastic eccentric member 26. The eccentric member 26 
comprises a cylindrical attachment portion 28 having an interior diameter 
slightly smaller than the diameter of driveshaft 24. The attachment 
portion 28 is therefore slidably advancable over the driveshaft 24 and 
frictionally retained thereon. The eccentric member 26 further includes a 
circular cam portion 30 integrally formed with the attachment portion 28. 
The cam portion 30 is integrally formed with the attachment portion 28 
such that the attachment portion 28 is near or at the outer circumference 
of the cam portion 30. Therefore, as the motor 22 rotates the driveshaft 
24, an imbalance is created by the eccentric member 26 which oscillates 
the torso 12. 
The insect 10 further comprises a plastic tail cone 32 that is slidably 
advancable onto the cam portion 30 as seen in FIGS. 3 and 5 in order to 
form a counterbalance 29. The tail cone 32 has an inner circular diameter 
that is slightly smaller than the diameter of cam portion 30 and a 
secondary axis along the length of the tail cone 32. As seen in FIG. 4, 
the tail cone 32 is advancable along and pivotally movable relative to the 
central axis of the cam portion 30. The adjustability of the tail cone 32 
is facilitated by the ability to pivotally offset the secondary axis of 
tail cone 32 relative to the central axis of the cam portion 30 which 
allows for a selective increase or decrease in the level of the imbalance 
created by the counterbalance 29 while rotating. The imbalance will cause 
the torso to vibrate and cause the insect to walk as will be further 
explained below. In order to magnify the imbalance, a weight such as a 
coin 34 is placable within the interior of tail cone 32. The coin 34 adds 
weight to the tail cone 32 such that as the tail cone 32 and eccentric 
member 26 rotate, the imbalance created thereby is amplified. 
In order to power the motor 22, the insect 10 further includes a battery 36 
as a power source. The battery 36 is insertable into a battery holder 38 
that snaps into the bottom torso section 12b. The battery holder 38 has a 
metallic first contact 40 and a metallic second contact 42 which are in 
electrical communication with respective ones of the positive and negative 
poles of battery 36. The motor 22 has a first wire 44 and a second wire 46 
which are used to supply electricity to the motor 22. The first wire 44 is 
electrically attached to the first contact 40 of the battery holder 38. 
In order to control the flow of electricity to motor 22, the insect 10 
further includes a metallic switch 48. The switch 48 is attached to the 
bottom torso section 12b with a first metallic screw 50 and a 
corresponding nut and washer in a manner whereby the switch 48 is 
rotatable about the screw 50. The second wire 46 from motor 22 includes a 
wire connector 47 attached thereto. The wire connector 47 is advanceable 
over the first screw 50 that projects into the interior of bottom torso 
section 12b and his maintained in place with the nu threaded thereon. As 
seen in FIG. 5, the insect 10 includes a second metallic screw 52 
insertable into the bottom torso section 12b. The second screw 52 is 
placed adjacent to the first screw 50 such that as the switch 48 is 
rotated toward the second screw 52, the switch makes contact therewith. 
The second screw 52 is also positioned within the bottom torso section 12b 
such that when the battery holder 38 is snapped into place, the second 
contact 42 of battery holer 38 is in electrical communication with the 
second screw 52. Therefore, in order to provide a flow of electricity to 
the motor 22, the switch must be rotated to make contact with the second 
screw 52. By making contact with the second screw 52, the switch 48 makes 
a closed electrical circuit between the battery 36 and the motor 22. 
Specifically, electricity can flow from a pole of battery 36 through the 
first contact 40 and first wire 44 into motor 22. Electricity also flows 
from motor 22 through second wire 46, wire connector 47, first screw 50, 
switch 48, second screw 52, second contact 42 and back to battery 36. The 
complete electrical circuit will thereby power motor 22. If switch 48 is 
not in contact with second screw 52, then the electrical circuit will not 
be completed and the motor 22 will not rotate. As will be recognized to 
those of ordinary skill in the art, the flow of electricity may be 
reversed by reversing the poles of the battery 36 in battery holder 38. 
As previously described, the insect 10 includes a set of metallic legs 14a, 
14b, and 14c that support the insect 10 and allow the insect to walk. Each 
set of legs 14a, 14b and 14c comprise a left and right segment which 
project outwardly from a respective side of the torso 12. The legs 14a-c 
are bent such that the legs 14a-c act as springs. The legs 14a-c are 
attached to the bottom torso section 12b by bottom cover 54 as seen in 
FIG. 2. As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, the 
legs 14a-c can be formed from a unitary section of wire or be formed from 
two sections of wire such that each pair of legs 14a-c comprises two 
pieces. The bottom cover 54 has a series of pegs which are receivable into 
corresponding peg holes formed within the bottom torso section 12b. As 
with the top cover 18, the pegs of the bottom cover 54 are secured to the 
bottom torso section 12b through the use of spring clips (not shown) which 
are advancable over each respective peg. As seen in FIG. 6, the bottom 
cover 54 is formed with channels 56 for the legs 14a, 14b, and 14c. The 
channels 56 are formed on the interior side (i.e., the side that abuts 
bottom torso section 12b) of bottom cover 54 such that legs 14a, 14b, and 
14c are secured between the bottom cover 54 and the bottom torso section 
12b. The channels 56 are formed such that the legs 14a, and 14c cannot 
rotate in order to support the insect 10. Additionally, the bottom cover 
54 is formed such that the first and second screws 50 and 52 are 
insertable therethrough and the heads of the screws 50 and 52, as well as 
switch 48, are disposed on the exterior surface of the bottom cover 54. 
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insect 10 has 
three pairs of legs 14a, 14b, and 14c. However, it will be recognized that 
if the insect 10 is a spider, more legs will be necessary. As the motor 22 
rotates the eccentric member 26 and tailcone 32, the insect 10 will 
vibrate in a manner wherein the torso 12 oscillates upwardly and 
downwardly. Since the legs 14a-c are springlike, the oscillation of the 
torso 12 will cause the legs 14a-c to move thereby causing the insect 10 
walk. In addition to the legs 14a, 14b, and 14c moving from the vibration, 
the wings 16a, 16b will also flap adding realism to the insect 10. 
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insect 10 is sold 
as a kit with an instruction booklet and/or educational guide. The 
instruction booklet will provide the child with the necessary instructions 
and order of assembly to fabricate the insect 10. As described above, all 
of the pieces either snap or screw together thereby making assembly easy. 
The educational guide may describe the biological features of the insect 
10 while the child assembles the insect 10. Additionally, the educational 
guide may describe the mechanics of how the insect 10 walks by describing 
the physics involved in facilitating the vibration of insect 10. By 
assembling the walking insect 10, a child will have learned about the 
biological and physical sciences as well as assembled a fun toy that the 
child can play with. 
Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also 
be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art such as making the 
insect 10 a butterfly. Thus, the particular combination of parts described 
and illustrated herein is intended to represent only certain embodiments 
of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of 
alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the invention.