ASSEMBLABLE TOY

Abstract: Assemblable toy comprising a set alternatively assemblable elements, characterized in that it provides one single configuration essentially tubular main element (10) provided with wheels (11), and a set of pairs of complementary elements (16A&17A, 16B&17B, 16C&17C), disengageable linking elements being moreover provided to the purpose of linking the two complementary elements of each pair respectively to the one (12) and to the other end (14) of said main element, the two complementary elements of each pair having the shape, on reduced scale, respectively of the head portion and of the tail portion of a transportation means, each pair of complementary elements relating to a transportation means of type different from that of the other ones, the main element forming a common central portion of the transportation means defined by said pairs.

Description: ASSEMBLABLE TOY The obj ' ect of the present invention is an assemblabl toy. Assemblable toys are known, composed by a pluralit of elements to be mutually united, with the possibility o being disengaged, in various ways, so as to form pla items of various types. Purpose of the present invention is to propose assemblable toy which, with a minimum number of alternati vely assemblable elements allows building transportatio means of various types on reduced scale. Such a purpose is achieved by means of a assemblabl toy comprising a set of alternat vely assemblable ele ments, characterized in that it provides one single confi guration main element substantially tubular provided wit wheels, and a set of pairs of complementary elements d sengageab le linking elements being moreover provided t the purpose of linking the two complementary elements o each pair respectively to the one and to the other end o said main element, the two complementary elements of eac pair having the shape, on reduced scale, respectively o the head portion and of the tail portion of a transporta tion means, each pair of complementary elements relatin to a transportation means of type different from that o other ones, the main element forming a common centra portion of the transportation means defined by said pairs To the purpose of better understanding the character istics and advantages of the present invention, herein under a disclosure is reported of an exemplifying no limitative embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the at tached drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows the elements of an assemblable toy according to the invention, in an exploded way according to a top perspective view; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a first transporta- tion means on reduced scale, accomplished by means of a forst combination of elements of fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a second transporta¬ tion means on reduced scale, accomplished by means of a second combination of elements of fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a third transporta¬ tion means on reduced scale, accomplished by means of a third combination of elements of fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the first transporta- <* tion means of fig. 2 with the main element of the as- semblable toy of fig. 1 in open position' Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partly cutaway, of the main element of assemblable toy of fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the di sengageab le coupling means of elements of/assemblable toy of fig. 1. The assemblable toy of fig. 1 envisages a substan¬ tially tubular main element 10, mounted on a set of wheels 11 which can be seen in fig. 6. The main element 10 is closed at an end by a wall 12 provided with three through-bores 13, and at its other end 15 by a wall 14 provided with three pins (figs. 1,6). The toy of fig. 1 envisages moreover couples of complementary elements which can be alternatively coupled to the said ends of main element 10, and precisely: - an element 16A and a corresponding element 17A respec- tively having the shape of the head portion and of the tail portion of an aircraft on reduced scale; - an element 16B and a corresponding element 17B having respectively the shape of the head portion and of the tail portion of a train on reduced scale; - an element 16C and a corresponding element 17C havin g respectively the shape of the head portion and of the tail portion of a big motor vehicle on reduced scale. Each element 16 is provided with a rear closure wall 18 provided with three pins 19. The pins 19 are suitable to correspondingly enter the three bores 13 of wall 12 of main element 10. When the pins 19 are inserted inside the bores 13, the wall 12 and 18 match with each other. Each element 17 is provided with a front closure wall 20 provided with three through-bores 21. Into the three bores 21 correspond ngly enter the three pins 15 of the wall 14 of main element 10._ When the pins 15 are inserted inside the bores 21 the walls 14 and 20 match with each other. The above said walls, pins and bores of complementary elements 16 and 17, which can be seen, partly only, in fig. 1 , are indicated in such figure with their respective numbers followed by the letter A, B or C, according to whether they refer to the complementary element marked by the letter A or B or C. In fig. 7, the coupling between the pins (15, 19) and the respective bores (21, 13) is shown in detail. As it can be noted, the pins and the bores are correspondi g ly tapered and flared, to facilitate their entering the ones into the others. Moreover, each pin is provided at its en 22 with an annular relief or enlargement, slighly yielding in an elastic way, so as to provide a type of elastic snap clamping between pin and hole. With the assemblable toy as hereinabove disclosed, reduced-scale transportation means of different types accomplished, and preciasely an aircraft, a train and a big motor vehicle can be alternatively accomplished. In fact, by coupling the main element 10 with comple¬ mentary elements 16A and 17A the aircraft of fig. 2 is obtained, by coupling the main element 10 with complemen¬ tary elements 16B and 17B the train of fig. 3 is obtained, and by coupling the main element 10 with the complementary elements 16C and 17C the big motor vehicle of fig. 4 is obtai ned. That is obtained by means of a minimum number of elements, in that the main portion of the transportation means accomplished is always formed by the tubular element 10 with wheels 11. The configuration of element 10 is indeed substantially the common configura ion of passenger cabin of the three transportation means which, on reduced scale, are herein represented. The main element 10 is provided with two outer longi- tudinal opposed strips 23 along which windows, consti¬ tuting the windows of the passenger cabin constituted by the main element 10, are provided. Such main element 10 is also provided with a motor, so as to be able to autonomously move. To that purpose, inside it an electrical motor 24 is installed, kinemati- cally linked to a set of wheels 11, and fed by batteries 25, they too installed inside the main element 10, with power supply being controllable by means of an angularly shiftable lever 26, so as to change the speed of the same motor. The lever 26 protrudes for an end length thereof out of the main element 10 through a slot 27 provided in the same element, so as to make it possible it to be actuated from precisely the outside. This motor drive of main element 10 is not disclosed in detail, in that it can be easily accomplished by one skilled in the art. To have access to the electrical motor 24 and to the batteries 25, the main element 10 can be divided, as shown in fig. 5, into a sort of two half-shells, and precisely into a lower half-shell 10.1 mounted on wheels 11 and supporting the electrical motor 24 and the batteries 25, and into an upper half-shell 10.2, closing the lower half- shell 10.1. The two half-shells 10.1 and 10.2 can be assembled by means of elastic snap clamping or other equivalent systems, herein neither disclosed nor illus¬ trated in that, as for motor drive, they are within the capabilities of one skilled in the a.rt. The main element 10 may also be not motor-driven, but accomplished in a simpler way as one single block, provided with freely rotatable wheels. Of course, in this case it shall need outer forces to travel along support p lane . Other couples of complementary elements can be pro¬ vided, each couple being so configurated as to form, by coupling with the main element 10, a particular transpor¬ tation means of shape or type different from those as i I lustrated. There in general a wide possibility of configuration variants as for the couples of complementary elements; and also the main element, although maintaining a substantial¬ ly tubular overall configuration can undergo changes as for the detai Is. Not even the use of pins and bores as di sengageabl means for main element and complementary elements linking is limitative, in that pins and bores can be replaced by the equivalent means suggested by the art. Of course, nothing prevents from coupling the comple¬ mentary elements, both of the same couple and of different couples, to be coupled directly with each other, to accom¬ plish unreal transportation means, provided that, as in the example illustrated, pins and related bores corres¬ pond.

Claims: C l a i m s 1. Assemblable toy comprising a set of alternati el assemblable elements, characterized in that it provides one single configuration substantially tubular main ele ment provided with wheels, and a set of pairs of comple mentary elements, di sengageable linking elements bein moreover provided to the purpose of linking the two com plementary elements of each pair respectively to the on and to the other end of said main element, the two comple mentary elements of each pair having the shape, on reduce scale, respectively of the head portion and of the tail portion of a transportation means, each pair of complemen tary elements relating to a transportation means of typ different from that of the other ones, the main elemen forming a common central portion of the transportatio means defined by said pairs. 2. Assemblable toy according to claim 1, wherein sai main element includes motor means kinematically linked t the wheels for the autonomous motion of the same mai e lement . 3. Assemblable toy according to claim 2, wherein sai main element includes also power supply means and mean for controlling said motor means. 4. Assemblable toy according to claim 1, wherein sai di sengageable coupling means comprise pins solid with th one of the two elements to be coupled, and correspondin bores provided in the other of the two elements to b coupled. 5. Assemblable toy according to claim 4, wherein sai pins are provided with reliefs suitable to engage the pin inside the bores by means of elastic-snap clamping. 6. Assemblable toy according to claim 1, wherein the couples of complementary elements are three, the two com¬ plementary elements of the first couple having the shape respectively of the head portion and of the tail portion of an aircraft, the two complementary elements of the second couple having the shape respectively of the head portion and of the tail portion of a train, the two com¬ plementary elements of the third couple having the shape respectively of the head portion and of the tail portion of a big motor vehicle, said main element forming the passenger cabin of the said three transportation means.

Inventors: REGINATO FRANCESCO, REGINATO, FRANCESCO
Applicants: LIMA SPA, LIMA S.P.A.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A63H17
IPC codes: A63H17, A63H33