Steerable electric toy car

A steerable electric toy car includes a steering mechanism including a weight body with an electrically conductive activating finger and a weight at two ends thereof, suspended on a grip member. Two pairs of contacts are fixed on the grip member in a position that the activating finger does not abut them when the grip member is held upright, but that the activating finger does abut them when the grip member is rotated and the weight maintains the original position of the weight body relative to the ground. The toy car further includes a gearing for turning the wheels of the car which has a frictional arrangement for preventing damage to the powering motor when the wheels can be turned no further.

This invention relates to a toy car, particularly to an 
electrically-powered toy car with a remote control steering device which 
allows a user to steer the toy car in a manner similar to steering a real 
car, which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture. Prior 
art toy cars are basically of three types. The first is the basic toy car, 
which is a rolling toy with wheels fixed to rotatable axles or rotatable 
wheels sleeved on fixed axles. Energy to propel the car is provided by the 
thrust of the user's arm. Such a toy is limited in the distance it can 
travel and the direction in which it rolls can not be controlled 
accurately. 
The second type of prior toy car is an improvement on the first, with a 
spring means designed to absorb and save a certain amount of driving force 
and release it to power the wheels to rotate. This type is also has a 
limited travelling distance and ability to be steered. 
The third type of prior toy car appeals to young and old enthusiasts alike. 
It is powered electrically and controlled via a remote control means 
attached by a cord to the toy. Most remote control means are in the form 
of a box with various control buttons to control direction, etc. 
It is believed that the appeal of a toy car would be greatly increased if 
the toy car could be steered in a manner similar to steering a real car. 
It is also desirable that such a toy car be of as simple a construction as 
possible so as to be inexpensive to manufacture. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The primary object of this invention is to provide a steerable electric toy 
car of simple and inexpensive construction with the appealing feature that 
the toy car can be steered in a manner similar to steering a real car. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a steerable electric toy 
car with a novel steering mechanism which operates by means of a simple 
weight and electric contact arrangement. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a steerable electric toy 
car with a wheel-turning mechanism that prevents damage to the motor 
powering the mechanism and which further includes a direction signalling 
arrangement to heighten the appeal of the toy car. 
These and other objects are achieved by provision of a steerable electric 
toy car which comprises: 
A toy body, including a frame; a rear shaft rotatably mounted transversely 
on an underside of a rear portion of the frame; a pair of first wheels 
fixedly mounted at opposite ends of the rear shaft, adapted to be driven 
by a rear motor forwards and backwards; a front shaft, rotatably mounted 
transversely on the underside of a front portion of the frame; a pair of 
second wheels fixedly mounted respectively at opposite ends of the front 
shaft; and means for controlling the front shaft to move with respect to a 
longitudinal axis of the frame. The controlling means includes a jointed 
control plate attached to the front shaft; a control rod engaged with and 
extending vertically with respect to the jointed plate; a gear mechanism 
including an output end coupled to the control rod, and a rear motor 
having an output shaft coupled with an input end of the gear mechanism so 
that rotation from the output shaft can be transmitted to drive the 
control rod. The invention also includes a control mechanism, including a 
grip member, adapted to be controlled by a player; contact means disposed 
on the grip member and electrically connected to the front motor of the 
toy body; and a weight body, pivotedly suspended by one end thereof on the 
grip member, with a weight disposed at another end of the weight body, and 
an activating finger disposed on the weight body near the pivoted end of 
the weight body in such a position that when the grip member is rotated, 
and the weight causes the weight body by gravity to remain vertically 
oriented to the ground, thereby the change of relative position of the 
weight body relative to said grip member will cause the activating finger 
to contact the contact means to close a circuit for driving the front 
motor. 
In one aspect of the invention, the gear mechanism includes a gear box; a 
first shaft fixed in the gear box; a first gear rotatably mounted on the 
first shaft and coupled to the output shaft so as to be driven by said 
front motor; a restricting member fixed on the first shaft with a 
restricting edge, and a rotating plate rotatably mounted on the first 
shaft. The rotating plate includes a tubular protrusion on an underside of 
the rotating plate for receiving the control rod, and a second shaft fixed 
on an opposite side of the rotating plate to the protrusion. The second 
shaft receives a pinion which is tightly sleeved on the second shaft and 
which is meshed with the first gear wheel. Thereby, as the first gear 
transmits the rotation from the output shaft of the motor to the pinion, 
the pinion is prevented from rotating by the frictional force between 
itself and the second shaft, so that the rotating plate is caused to turn 
about the first shaft until the protrusion abuts the restricting edge, 
whereupon, as the driving force can no longer be transmitted to the 
rotating plate, it builds up until it overcomes the frictional force of 
the pinion against the second shaft, and the pinion is made to rotate 
about the second shaft. 
In another aspect of the invention, the gear mechanism further includes a 
shaft axle rotatably mounted between said output shaft of said front motor 
and said first shaft, said shaft axle having a bevel gear fixedly mounted 
thereon coupled to said output shaft, said shaft axle further including a 
second pinion fixedly mounted thereon above said bevel gear in cooperation 
with said first gear so as to rotate said first gear; wherein said said 
rotating plate further includes a third shaft fixed thereon with a third 
pinion rotatably sleeved thereon engaged with so as to be rotated by said 
first pinion, said second and third shafts having a cap member attached to 
top ends thereof to prevent said first and third pinions from sliding off 
thereat, and wherein said first shaft further includes a second gear 
mounted above said first gear and engaged with and rotated by said third 
pinion, while said shaft axle includes a third gear mounted above said 
second pinion engaged with and rotated by said second gear, so as to 
dissipate driving force of the front motor when the wheels can no longer 
be moved. 
Thus, as the motor-powered rotation of the wheels must of needs be limited, 
and the limiting member is the restricting plate, the design of the gear 
mechanism ensures that no damage is incurred to the motor when the limit 
is reached. 
In another aspect of the invention, the contact means of the controlling 
mechanism includes four contact members disposed in two facing pairs on 
the grip member, and the activating finger has two ends, each end located 
between one of the two pairs of contact members in such a position that 
when the grip member is rotated, each end respectively of the activating 
finger contacts one contact member of each pair of contact members, 
completing a circuit thereat. 
In another aspect of the invention, the grip member is shaped in the shape 
of a steering wheel, to make the action of the toy as realistic as 
possible, and the weight body is disposed at a central portion of the grip 
member. In yet another aspect of the invention, the frame includes a 
direction signalling arrangement comprising a pair of signal lights 
disposed at an appropriate location on the frame; an electric circuit 
means adapted to be powered by an electrical source, the electric circuit 
means being activated to power the lights when the car is turned; and a 
circuit activating means to activate the circuit means when the car is 
turned. 
The circuit activating means includes two facing contacts disposed close to 
each other on the underside of the frame; and a contact rod with two ends, 
one end connected to the circuit means and disposed on the jointed plate 
transversely, and another end intermediate to said facing contacts and 
normally out of contact therewith. However, when the jointed plate is 
turned by said control rod, the contact rod contacts one of the facing 
contacts and activates a circuit thereat. 
When a player desires to play with the car, he grips the grip member, 
preferably holding it at an upright angle to the ground, and turns on the 
motors. The rear motor cause the car to move forward. When the player 
holds the wheel in such a way that the contact means is longitudinally 
parallel to the ground, the activating finger of the weight body will not 
contact the contact means. However, when the player turns the grip member 
so that the contact means is longitudinally oblique to the ground, the 
activating finger will contact a pair of the contact members and complete 
a circuit to activate the front motor of which the driving force, in turn 
will be transmitted to the control rod to turn the toy car.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is 
made for the purpose of illustrating the invention. 
A steerable electric toy car according to the invention has a toy body, 
including a frame 1, a rear shaft 110; a pair of first wheels 11 on the 
rear shaft 110; a rear motor 10; a pair of front mounts 120; a pair of 
second wheels 12 on the front mounts 120; means for controlling the front 
mounts 120 to move with a respect to a longitudinal axis of the frame 1, 
including a jointed control plate 30, a control rod 31 engaged with the 
jointed plate 30, a gear mechanism 39, and a front motor 32. The preferred 
embodiment of this invention also includes a control mechanism for 
steering the toy, which comprises a grip member 20; contact members 
232,233,232',233', and a weight body 23, the steering of the toy being 
achieved by a weight biasing and circuit activating arrangement. 
The frame 1 of the toy car is designed in a basically rectangular, 
vehicular shape. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, on a rear underside portion 
13 thereof a rear shaft 110 is rotatably mounted transversely, with a pair 
of first wheels 11 fixedly mounted respectively at opposite ends of the 
rear shaft 110 adapted through a conventional gearing arrangement 100 to 
be powered by a rear motor 10 to move backwards and forwards. 
On both sides respectively of a front underside portion 3 of the frame 1 
are mounted movably a pair of front mounts 120. A pair of second wheels 12 
are attached respectively to front mounts 120 and a jointed control plate 
30 is attached to the front mounts 120 at two ends of the jointed plate 30 
respectively, thus being disposed transversely to the frame 1. Jointed 
portions 3011 of the jointed plate 30 are located near and attached to the 
front mounts 120 and are fixed by pivot pins 301. Through the arrangement 
of the jointed plate 30, the jointed portions 302, the pivots 301, the 
front mounts 120 and the wheels 12, when the jointed plate 30 is moved 
with respect to a longitudinal axis of the frame 1, the wheels 12 will 
turn concurrently. 
The jointed plate 30 is controlled to move through by a control rod 31 
disposed vertically in the frame perpendicular to the jointed plate 30 and 
attached to the jointed plate 30 eccentrically on the jointed plate 30. A 
gear mechanism 39 powered by a front motor 32 controls the control rod 31 
to move to a certain extent from side to side in the frame 1, thus causing 
the jointed plate 30 to move from side to side. 
The gear mechanism 39 comprises a gear box in which the front motor 32 is 
received, a first shaft 34 fixed in the gear box, a first gear 341 
rotatably mounted on the first shaft 34 and coupled to an output shaft 321 
of the motor 32 so as to be driven by the motor 32. Mounted fixedly on the 
first shaft 34 below the first gear 341 is a restricting member 38 with a 
restricting edge 381. A rotating plate 351 is sleeved rotatably on the 
first shaft 34 between the first gear 341 and the restricting member 38. 
The rotating plate 351 includes a tubular protrusion 3511 on an underside 
thereof for receiving the top end of the control rod 31, and a second 
shaft 355 fixed on an opposite side of the rotating plate 351 from the 
tubular protrusion 3511. The second shaft 355 receives a first pinion 352 
tightly sleeved thereon, which is meshed with the first gear 341. 
When the first gear 341 transmits rotation from the output shaft 321 of the 
motor 32, the first pinion 352 which is meshed with the first gear 341 is 
prevented from rotating by the frictional force between itself and the 
second shaft 355. Therefore, the rotating plate 351 is caused to rotate 
about the first shaft 34 until the protrusion 3511 abuts the restricting 
edge 381, whereupon, as the driving force can no longer be transmitted to 
the rotating plate 351, it builds up until it overcomes the frictional 
force between the first pinion 352 and the second shaft 355, and the first 
pinion 352 is made to rotate about the second shaft 355 to dissipate the 
driving force. 
As the rotating plate 351 rotates, it moves the control rod 31 to one side, 
which causes the jointed plate 30 to move to one side and turn the wheels. 
The restricting member 38 prevents the rotating plate 351 from rotating 
completely around undesirably. The arrangement of the first pinion 352 and 
the second shaft 355 protect the front motor 32 from damage as it allows 
the force which can not be used to turn the wheels 12 to dissipate. 
The gear mechanism 39 of the preferred embodiment further includes a shaft 
axle 33 rotatably mounted between the output shaft 321 of the front motor 
32 and the first shaft 34, the shaft axle 33 having a bevel gear 331 
fixedly mounted thereon coupled to the output shaft 321. The shaft axle 33 
further includes a second pinion 332 fixedly mounted thereon above the 
bevel gear 331 in cooperation with the first gear 341 so as to rotate the 
first gear 341; and the rotating plate 351 further includes a third shaft 
356 fixed thereon with a third pinion 353 rotatably sleeved thereon 
engaged with so as to be rotated by the first pinion 352. The second and 
third shafts 355, 356 have a cap member 354 attached to top ends thereof 
to prevent the first and third pinions 352,353 from sliding off and the 
first shaft 34 further includes a second gear 342 mounted above the first 
gear 341 and engaged with and rotated by the third pinion 353, while the 
shaft axle 33 includes a third gear 333 mounted above the second pinion 
332 engaged with and rotated by the second gear 342. This arrangement 
provides for dissipation of the driving force of the front motor 32 when 
the wheels 12 can no longer be moved. 
The toy car also includes a realistic directional signal lights 
arrangement. The arrangement includes a pair of direction signal lights 8 
in a front portion of the frame 1, an electric circuit means (not shown) 
for powering the lights 8, which is powered by an electric source (not 
shown), and a circuit activating means 304 to activate the lights 8, right 
and left respectively, when the front wheels 12 are turned. 
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, referring to FIG. 3, the 
circuit activating means 304 includes a pair of facing contacts 303 
disposed close to each other on the front underside portion 3 of the frame 
1, and a contact rod 302 with two ends 3021, 3022, one end 3022 connected 
to the circuit means and disposed on the frame 1 near the jointed plate 
30, and the other end 3021 received intermediate to the facing contacts 
303 but normally out of contact therewith. The contact rod 302 of the 
preferred embodiment is substantially in a V-shape and is attached around 
a pin 3023 of the jointed plate 30. When the jointed plate 30 is moved by 
the control rod 31 to move left, the contact rod 302 will be moved left 
also due to its attachment to the jointed plate 30. At this time it will 
contact the leftmost facing contact 303, causing a circuit to be completed 
to light the left directional signal light 8. The right directional signal 
light 8 is lit in a similar way through the movement right of the jointed 
plate 30. 
Referring to FIG. 5, the preferred embodiment of the toy car of this 
invention is steered with a steering mechanism 2 which includes a grip 
member 20 in the shape of a steering wheel with a weight body 23 disposed 
on a central portion of the grip member 20. 
The weight body 23 is pivotedly suspended by one end 230 thereof on said 
grip member 20, with a weight 2311 fixed to another end 2301 of the weight 
body 23. An activating finger 231 is attached transversely to the weight 
body 23 near the pivoted end 230 such that two ends of the activating 
finger 231 project from two sides of the pivoted end 230. 
The steering mechanism further includes four contact members 
232,233,232',233' disposed in two facing pairs 232,233 and 232',233' on 
the grip member 20 such that one end of the activating finger 231 rests 
between but does not abut each pair of contact members 232,233 and 
232',233' respectively. The contact members 232,233,232',233' are so 
disposed that if the uppermost contact member of one pair of contact 
members 232,232 and 232'233' at one end of the activating finger 231 is 
contact member 232, the lowermost contact member of the other pair of 
contact members 232',233' at the other end of the activating finger 231 
will be 232'. The circuit means to power the front motor 32 is so arranged 
that when contact members 232,232' are connected electrically, the front 
motor 32 is powered to produce rotation in one direction, and when contact 
members 233,233' are connected, the motor 32 is powered to rotate in 
another direction. 
When the grip member 20 is held in an upright position, the activating 
finger 231 does not touch the contact members 232,233,232',233' so no 
circuit is completed. However, when the grip member 20 is rotated, the 
weight 2311 causes the weight body 23 to remain oriented vertically with 
respect to the ground, and depending on the direction in which the grip 
member 20 is rotated, the activating finger 231 will contact an uppermost 
contact member 232,233,232',233' at one end thereof and a lowermost 
contact member 232,233,232'233' at another end thereof. The circuit means 
and circuit activating means described above are connected electrically to 
the front motor 32 through a cord attaching the grip member 20 and frame 1 
of the toy car. Also included on the grip member 20 are two manually 
operated switches 20 and 21. Switch 20 is a an on-off switch for turning 
on the power soruce for the circuit activating means, and switch 21 is a 
dual switch for powering the rear motor 12 to spin backwards and forwards. 
While this invention has been described with what is presently considered 
to be the most preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the 
invention is not to be limited to the present embodiment, but is intended 
to cover all modifications and equivalent arrangements which fall within 
the scope and spirit of the appended claims.