Abstract:
A toy vehicle designed to run on land is powered, at least in part, by a water jet. If the water jet propulsion system is auxiliary to a main propulsion system, the main propulsion system may be a compressed air piston engine, in which case pressurization of the air supply for the piston engine and pressurization of the water tank that supplies the water jet may advantageously be achieved by using a common hand pump, and the waterjet propulsion system as well as a sound effects system may be linked to the motor drive shaft to achieve simultaneous actuation of the motor, the water jet, and corresponding sound effects.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a self-propelled toy vehicle having an auxiliary waterjet propulsion system. The auxiliary water jet propulsion system assists in propulsion and adds an element of visual interest to the moving vehicle.  
           [0003]    The main source of propulsion may, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, be a motor driven by a pressurized air supply. An example of such a motor is the piston-operated pneumatic engine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,806 (Akiyama et al.). Pressurization systems are used to: (i) force air into an air reservoir so that the air reservoir supplies a continuous stream of air to the piston engine upon cranking of the piston in the engine, and (ii) supply air to pressurize a water tank, from which water is expelled upon opening a valve that is activated by pushing the vehicle forward. Preferably, the pressurization systems are individual pressurization systems, each powered by a separate hand-pump connected to a common handle, although a shared pressurization system could also be used.  
           [0004]    The invention also relates to the inclusion of a sound effects generator in a vehicle driven by a compressed air piston engine, and in particular to a vehicle arranged to generate engine sound effects in response to activating a spring loaded switch on the hood of the vehicle.  
           [0005]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0006]    As indicated above, one aspect of the present invention relates generally to the inclusion of an auxiliary water jet in a self-propelled toy vehicle. This aspect of the invention is based on the concept that while waterjet propulsion is an inefficient means of propulsion for a land or air vehicle, addition of a water jet for auxiliary propulsion purposes is nevertheless advantageous because it adds an element of visual and tactile interest lacking in most toy vehicle propulsion systems. Another aspect of the present invention relates to the inclusion of a sound effects generator in a compressed air powered toy vehicle. Although electrically-powered vehicles commonly include sound effects, compressed air powered vehicles are notable for their relatively quiet operation.  
           [0007]    With respect to the first aspect of the invention, there is very little art, if any, related to water jet propulsion in vehicles designed to operate on land or in the air rather than in the water, whether used as a main propulsion system or an auxiliary propulsion system. Instead, most of the related art concerning water jet propulsion systems is directed to water jet propulsion systems for marine vehicles. For the most part, such systems use some sort of electrical pump to create the water jet, although in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/604,076, it was proposed to use a hand-pumpoperated water tank pressurization system to create a water jet for propelling a toy submarine. The preferred embodiment of the present invention uniquely adapts the hand-pump-operated water tank pressurization system disclosed in the copending application to a non-marine vehicle, for use in connection with an auxiliary water jet propulsion system.  
           [0008]    While there is little related art concerning use of water jet propulsion systems in non-marine vehicles, there are a number of prior patents related to compressed air propulsion systems, which in the preferred embodiment of the invention may be used as the main propulsion means for the vehicle. In fact, the preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes a modified version of the piston-operated pneumatic engine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,806 (Akiyama et al.). In the engine disclosed in the Akiyama et al patent, a piston situated in a cylinder is connected to a cam positioned on the output shaft ofthe engine, and the cam operates a valve that opens and closes to alternately place the piston in fluid communication with a continuous supply ofcompressed air, movement of the piston further placing the cylinder in fluid communication with an exhaust port, thereby providing a highly efficient and reliable two-stroke engine cycle that provides sufficient motive power to move a toy vehicle or airplane at scale speeds corresponding to those of the real vehicles they are designed to emulate.  
           [0009]    One disadvantage of an air piston engine of the type disclosed in the Akiyama et al. patent, at least for purposes of propelling a toy, is that the air piston engine lacks the noise and visual effect of an internal combustion engine. While the compressed air piston engine can achieve scale speeds that exceed or are comparable to those of, for example, the fastest drag racers, they lack the exhaust flames and smoke, and the roar of the engine, that provide visual clues as to the speed of the vehicle. The addition of a visual reference against which the speed of the vehicle can be judged, as well as sound effects that duplicate the feel of a real drag race, can greatly enhance the experience provided by playing with such a vehicle.  
           [0010]    Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention uses compressed air piston engine in which the cylinder intake valve is operated by cam connected to the crankshaft, similar in this respect to the engine disclosed in the Akiyama et al. patent, the present invention in its broadest form is not limited to a particular main propulsion system, and in particular is not limited to a particular type of compressed air engine. For example, compressed air piston engines that could potentially be substituted for the piston-operated pneumatic engine of the preferred embodiment include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,006,517 (Kownacki et al.), 3,050,904 (Morse) 2,545,586 (Pollak), 1,796,157 (Moore) and 819,653 (Hawke). Furthermore, other types of compressed fluid powered vehicles that could be used in connection with an auxiliary waterj et propulsion system according to the principles of the present invention include the air jet and air turbine engines disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,499,940 (Johnson et al.), 3,950,889 (Dabney), 3,789,540 (Convertine et al.), 2,943,417 (Greenspan et al.), 2,410,682 (Richardson), 2,115,556 (Maniscalco). Of course, none of these patents discloses a piston-operated pneumatic engine, or any other type ofpneumatic engine, in combination with a fluid jet propulsion system.  
           [0011]    A prior patent that may be of interest as background with respect to the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,677 (Bennett), which discloses what is referred-to as an “auxiliaryjet propulsion means” for a vehicle. However, unlike the present invention, the jet propulsion means disclose in the Bennett patent is not auxiliary to a main source of motive power within the vehicle, but rather to gravity, the “auxiliary” fluid jet only being activated when the vehicle is moving down a slope and passes over a projection arranged to unplug the pressurized fluid output. In addition, there is not indication that the vehicle of Bennett can use water rather than air as the pressurized fluid for the auxiliary fluid jet.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,486 (Chilton et al.) may also be of interest as background related art for its disclosure of a vehicle that combines a “water jet” with an electric motor. The distinction between the vehicle of the present invention and that of Chilton et al. is the waterjet of Chilton et al. is arranged to be directed at other objects orpersons and in no way resembles, or is used as, a propulsion system. Further, since the main propulsion system of Chilton et al. is electric, as is the pump that supplies the water jet, the propulsion system and water jet cannot share a compressed air supply as the source of motive power.  
           [0013]    Turning to the sound effects aspect of the present invention, none of the patents cited above for their disclosures of compressed air engines includes sound effects. For the most part, compressed air engines operate relatively quietly, and none makes sounds corresponding to those of an internal combustion engine, much less sounds which are synchronized with starting or running of the engine. To the contrary, one of the reasons for using an air powered vehicle is to eliminate the need for an electrical system that could be used to provide sound effects. Of the above-cited patents, the only one that discloses a vehicle having both a compressed air engine and an electrical system is U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,904 (Morse), and the electrical system disclosed in the Morse patent is only used for operating lights.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    It is accordingly a first objective of the invention to provide a self-propelled toy vehicle having dual power sources, one of which serves as a primary source of motive power and the other of which offers additional visual effects to provide an enhanced impression of speed and motion.  
           [0015]    It is a second objective of the invention to provide a self-propelled toy vehicle having an auxiliary source of motive power that provides enhanced visual effects.  
           [0016]    It is a third objective of the invention to provide a self-propelled toy vehicle having an auxiliary source of motive power that provides enhanced visual and sound effects.  
           [0017]    It is a fourth objective of the invention to provide a non-marine vehicle having a water jet propulsion system.  
           [0018]    It is a fifth objective of the invention to provide a vehicle having air driven main and auxiliary propulsion systems pressurized by separate hand pumps connected to a common handle.  
           [0019]    It is a sixth objective of the invention to provide a vehicle having a compressed air motor and an auxiliary water jet propulsion system supplied with air by individual pressurization systems powered by separate hand pumps connected to a common handle.  
           [0020]    It is a seventh objective of the invention to provide a vehicle having a compressed air motor and an auxiliary waterjet propulsion system that in which starting of both the motor and the water jet is achieved by rotating the rear axle of the vehicle.  
           [0021]    It is a eighth objective of the invention to provide a toy land vehicle having a valve-operated auxiliary water jet propulsion system in which the valve is opened by manually pushing the vehicle, and in which the valve is closed upon operating a hand Pump used to pressurize the water supply.  
           [0022]    It is a ninth objective of the invention to provide a toy vehicle having a compressed air motor, and that provides engine sound effects at any time by pressing down on a hood mounted button.  
           [0023]    It is a tenth objective of the invention to provide a self-propelled toy vehicle having an auxiliary power source that provides enhanced visual effects, and a sound system that provides enhanced aural effects.  
           [0024]    These objectives are achieved, in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by providing a toy vehicle having a compressed air piston engine, a pressurized air reservoir which supplies a continuous stream of air to the piston engine upon cranking of a piston in the engine, and a water reservoir connected a second air inlet which is pressurized upon supply of air to the water reservoir including an outlet valve that opens upon cranking of the piston in the engine to permit expulsion of water from the reservoir simultaneously with operation of the engine.  
           [0025]    According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, pressurization of the air supply for the piston engine and pressurization of the water tank that supplies the water jet is achieved by using a common handle connected to two air pumps. The piston engine includes a single cylinder and a cam shaft driven by the piston for operating a cylinder intake valve that periodically connects the pressurized air supply with the cylinder. Starting of the engine is achieved by turning the cam shaft, for example by turning the wheels of the vehicle in case the vehicle is a land vehicle, so as briefly open the intake valve. Turning of the wheels of the vehicle also releases a waterjet valve actuator lever that maintains the valve in an open position until closed by operation ofthe hand pumps.  
           [0026]    Although the preferred embodiment of the invention combines an air piston engine with a waterj et, the invention is intended to encompass any toy vehicle that expels water so that it at least appears to be propelled by the jet of water. Further, although the preferred embodiment of the invention uses a pressurized air water jet similar to that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/604,076, it is not intended to be limited to a particular type of water jet and, insofar as the invention concerns the inclusion of a main engine, it is not intended to be limited to a particular type of main engine. Examples of alternative water jet systems that may be used in an auxiliary water jet propulsion system according to the principles of the invention include electrical pump and bladder type systems, while examples of motors that may be combined with the auxiliary water jet include electrical motors, internal combustion engines, air jet or air turbine engines, and alternative piston engines such as the piston engine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,517 (Kownacki et al.) which replaces the cam shaft with a valve rod connected directly to the piston. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a pneumatically powered vehicle having an auxiliary water jet propulsion system according to the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along centerline A-A in FIG. 2.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the preferred vehicle, with air tank, water tank, and top half of the body removed.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 is a a cross sectional plan view of the compressed air piston engine used in the vehicle of FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the compressed air piston engine of FIG. 3, taken along the centerline of the piston cylinder.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the compressed air piston engine of FIG. 3, taking along the center line of a cam actuated air valve.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of the preferred vehicle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 1, 2, and  6  illustrate a toy vehicle having a compressed air piston engine and an auxiliary water jet constructed in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention, while FIGS.  3 - 5  illustrate details of a compressed air piston engine used in the vehicle of FIGS. 1, 2, and  6 .  
         [0034]    As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and  6 , the preferred vehicle includes a vehicle body  1  shaped to resemble that of a race car and secured to a base or chassis  2  by screws or other suitable attachment means (not shown). Attached to the rear of the vehicle body  1  by screws or other suitable attachment means (not shown) is a rear housing  8 . All of the various parts of the preferred embodiment are primarily supported by the chassis  2 , with the upper body  1  and rear housing  8  being placed on the chassis following assembly of the various subsystems of the preferred vehicle, including a pressurization system, the air and water storage systems, the air engine, and the waterjet valve assembly.  
         [0035]    Although the shape of all of the exposed parts are consistent with parts of an actual race car, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the body and other exposed parts need not be limited to those of a race car, but rather that the vehicle could have any desired shape, including but not limited to cars, trucks, planes, trains, space ships, and any other real or imaginary vehicle, and that the vehicle could even be shaped to resemble animate or inanimate objects not normally associated with vehicles. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such details as the materials of the various parts, the types of fasteners used, the construction and number of the parts which make up the body, and the configuration of any appurtenances, all may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0036]    The vehicle of the preferred embodiment utilizes a rear wheel drive, although a front wheel drive could be substituted. As illustrated, the front tire/wheel assemblies  3  are rotatably secured to the chassis by screws or any other equivalent means (not shown), such as an axle, while rear wheels  5  and tires  6  are mounted on an axle  52  which includes a drive gear  45  having a carn  83  to be described in more detail below. As with the vehicle body, the wheels or tires may have any configuration appropriate to the type of vehicle, and may include configurations with more or less than four wheels, and configurations in which the wheels are hidden.  
         [0037]    Since the preferred vehicle operates on compressed air, a pressurization system is required. The pressurized air could, within the scope of the invention, be supplied by an external source, but the illustrated embodiment uses a manual pump to pressurize the compressed air engine and auxiliary water jet systems. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air and water supply pressurization system includes a manual pump in the form of a generally U-shaped handle assembly  16 , one end of which extends from the lower front end ofthe vehicle and is arranged to be grasped by the user&#39;s hand. The three legs of the U-shaped handle assembly  16  include two inner tubes  73  slidable in two outer tubes  17  mounted on the chassis  2 , and two plungers  78  which extend into the outer tubes. The third leg is in the form of a t-bar  75  having a fork  59 , as described below, for shutting off the water jet outlet valve to enable system pressurization.  
         [0038]    The pump tube check valves include respective housings  44  arranged to seal and fit over the end of pump tubes  17 . The check valves at the ends of the arms of the “T” serve as intake valves through which air is supplied to the air storage tank and the water storage tank, and further serve to isolate the pressurized air supply from the water jet system and air motor system. The respective air and water intake valve structures include stoppers and springs situated in passages connected respectively to the air tank inlet  42  and the water tank inlet  43 .  
         [0039]    As also shown in FIG. 1, the air/water storage subsystem of the preferred vehicle includes an air tank  18  and a water tank  19  connected to the pressurization system by tubes  40 , and to the air engine and waterjet subsystems by respective air tank and water tank connections.  
         [0040]    Water tank  19  includes a threaded filler neck, through which water may be added to the tank, an internally threaded cap  25 , a strainer tube  20 , a seal  24  and tether  22  secured to the cap by a screw or other appropriate securing means, and any appropriate anchor  21  tied to the tether  22  and having a dimension larger than the largest dimension of the opening in water tank  19  for preventing the cap  25  from becoming disassociated from the vehicle as the water tank is being filled. Extending from the bottom of water tank  19  is a neck onto which a clamp  80  is fitted, the connection being sealed by an oring seal. A passage in the neck  30  communicates with a passage arranged to provide water to the valve/nozzle assembly  31  described in detail below. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although air tank  18  is illustrated as a rigid tank, it is also possible to nclude an expandable tank or bladder-type reservoir.  
         [0041]    As shown in detail in FIGS.  3 - 5 , the preferred compressed air engine includes separate intake valve and cylinder chambers connected by a tube  40  and crank shaft  51 . Pressurized air is supplied to a pneumatic piston engine that includes an intake valve  87  having an inlet and outlet opening, a ball  38 , and a steel pin  56  situated in a passage between the outlet and the inlet. Opening of the intake valve  87  is caused by a cam follower pin  69  that retracts ball  38  upon rotation of cam  86  to a predetermined position. Retraction of ball  38  permits passage of air through the outlet opening to a connecting tube  40 . Connecting tube  40  supplies air through an air cylinder inlet to air cylinder  88 , which includes a piston  48  connected to a connecting rod  47 , and which in turn is connected by a pin  49  to crank  50  mounted on crank shaft  51 . Crank shaft  51  also is connected to drive gear  46 . Drive gear  46  engages axle gear  45  on the axle to drive the rear wheels.  
         [0042]    In operation, upon opening of engine intake valve  87 , air entering the air cylinder  88  causes piston  48  to move away from the entrance opening toward the end of the cylinder, thereby causing connecting rod  47  to turn crank  50  and crank shaft  51  by approximately 180°. This causes cam  86  to rotate by a corresponding amount and in turn causes ball  38  to shut off supply of air to the air cylinder  88 . Continued rotation of the crank shaft  51  in response to movement of the vehicle completes rotation of the crank and returns piston  48  to its initial position. Piston seal  53  is arranged such that air is exhausted past the piston seal during the return stroke, at which time cam  86  also completes rotation to a position at which the intake valve is again opened. Opening of intake valve  67  causes pressurized air to again be supplied to the air cylinder  88  to move piston  48 , completing the engine cycle. Preferably, cam  86  is designed such that the valve is only open for a brief period at the top of the stroke, although the timing of the engine cycle may of course be varied depending on the desired engine performance.  
         [0043]    The illustrated engine may initially be started by manually rolling the vehicle to rotate rear wheels  6  and axle  52 , in turn causing rotation of cam  86 . Rotation of cam  86  causes opening of intake valve  87 , and consequent supply of air to the air cylinder  88 , thereby initiating the power cycle described above.  
         [0044]    It will be noted by those skilled in the art that operation of the preferred engine is similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,806 (Akiyama et al.) in its use of a cam driven intake valve, but differs structurally in its use of separate intake valve and air cylinder structures. As explained above, it is nevertheless within the scope of the invention to substitute the specific engine structure described in the Akiyama patent for the illustrated pneumatic piston engine structure, or to substitute other pneumatic engine structures such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,517 (Kownacki et al.).  
         [0045]    The auxiliary water jet system of the preferred vehicle, illustrated in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a water jet valve positioned at the rear of the vehicle and designed to be opened upon manual rolling of the vehicle, as described above, simultaneously with starting of the compressed air engine. To this end, the water jet valve is opened and closed by a lever actuator  83  operatively connected to axle  52 , which is rotated to start the engine.  
         [0046]    More specifically, the waterjet valve is contained in a nozzle  7  connected to the water tank  19 . An interior passage communicates with an outlet opening arranged to be closed by a stopper consisting of a poppet  33  and a valve shaft  26 . Valve shaft  26  extends through an opening in nozzle  7 , which is sealed by an o-ring. As a result, movement of cam  83  causes thepoppetvalveto open, releasing ajet ofpressurized water from water tank  19  through nozzle  7 . As a result, the preferred embodiment provides a system in which the waterjet is activated simply by manuallypushing the vehicle to open the water jet valve, and in which the jet valve is closed to permit refill and repressurization simply by operating the hand pump used to pressurize the water supply.  
         [0047]    Finally, as best shown in FIG. 1, the compressed air powered vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a sound module  63 , and a manual switch actuator  12  arranged to resemble the upper portion of the engine of the vehicle. While the nature of the sounds generated by sound module  63  is entirely optional, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the sound module may be arranged, by way of example and not limitation, to generate engine starting sounds through a speaker when switch  12  is depressed. Alternatively, by way of further example, the engine sounds may be synchronized to or actuated by movement of the pump handle, or of any other movable part on the vehicle.  
         [0048]    Although various preferred embodiments of the invention have been described with sufficient particularity to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention without undue experimentation, it will be appreciated that numerous other variations and modifications ofthe illustrated embodiments, in addition to those already noted above, may be made by those skilled in the art. Each of these variations and modifications, including those not specifically mentioned herein, is intended to be included within the scope of the invention, and thus the description of the invention and the illustrations thereof are not to be taken as limiting, but rather it is intended that the invention should be defined solely by the appended claims.