Abstract:
A continuous loop toy vehicle trackset supports a booster and a plurality of toy vehicles. The trackset is formed of spaced apart track rails forming a gap therebetween. The toy vehicles are open wheeled and able to roll upon the track rails in either a right side up or inverted configuration. In the inverted configuration, the top surface of the toy vehicle is able to extend into the gap between the track rails. A staging lane facilitates introduction of additional toy vehicles to the trackset.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application discloses apparatus described and claimed in a co-pending application (attorney docket 14875) entitled Staging Mechanism for Toy Vehicle Playset which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and which is assigned to the assignee of the present application. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to toy vehicle playsets and particularly to those utilizing closed trackways having toy vehicle boosters operated therein to propel free wheeling toy vehicles about various loops and curves in the trackway in a continuous travel.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Toy vehicle playsets are well known in the art and have enjoyed great popularity for many years. Not surprisingly, practitioners in art have provided a virtually endless variety of toy vehicle playsets having various types of tracks and trackways and various types of toy vehicles operative thereon.  
           [0004]    Perhaps one of the most common and popular types of toy vehicle playsets utilizes a closed loop track defining a plurality of curves and loop portions within which one or more toy vehicle boosters are operated. A typical toy vehicle booster utilizes one or more rotating wheels which engage the sides or top portions of the toy vehicle entering the booster and due to their motor-driven rotation accelerate the toy vehicle through the playset trackway. To improve the amusement, excitement and appeal of toy vehicle playsets, practitioners of the toy arts have endeavored to provide various stunt apparatus within playsets. Examples of such stunt apparatus include inverting loops, spiral paths, jumps of various kinds as well as obstacles or interfering elements which attach or impede passing toy vehicles.  
           [0005]    The toy vehicles themselves are generally free wheeling in such booster activated playsets and comprise relatively simple toy vehicle bodies having a plurality of supporting freely rolling wheels.  
           [0006]    Despite substantial variation and great effort by practitioners of the toy arts in providing evermore improved and interesting toy vehicle playsets, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for ever more interesting, exciting and innovative toy vehicle playsets.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved toy vehicle playset. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved toy vehicle playset having additional exciting play features not found in the present art.  
           [0008]    In accordance with the present invention there is provided a toy vehicle playset comprising: a trackset forming a closed circuit travel path and having a portion formed by a pair of spaced apart track rails each defining a wheel receiving surface and a gap therebetween; a toy vehicle having a body defining an upper side and a lower side and a plurality of wheels, the upper and lower sides each exposing a portion of the wheels; and a toy vehicle booster within the trackset for accelerating the toy vehicle. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements and in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 sets forth a perspective view of an inverting toy vehicle playset constructed in accordance with the present invention and having a plurality of toy vehicles operative thereon;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 sets forth a section view of the trackset of FIG. 1 taken along section lines  2 - 2  therein having an illustrative toy vehicle in its rightside up configuration;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 sets forth the section view of FIG. 2 having an illustrative toy vehicle in its upside down configuration;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 sets forth an enlarged partial perspective view of the staging lane portion of the present invention inverting toy vehicle playset;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 sets forth a simplified top view of the staging apparatus of the present invention inverting toy vehicle playset showing a toy vehicle staged for entrance to the trackway;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 shows a simplified top view of the staging portion of the present invention inverting toy vehicle playset inserting a staged toy vehicle into the toy vehicle trackway. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 sets forth a perspective view of an inverting toy vehicle playset constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally referenced by numeral  10 . Playset  10  includes a closed loop trackset  11  fabricated in the manner set forth below in greater detail. Suffice it to note here that trackset  11  includes a straight portion  12  coupled to a reversing loop  13  which in turn is coupled to a multiply curved ramp  14 . A toy vehicle scoop  16  is supported in a spaced relationship from curved ramp  14  to form a gap  15  therebetween. Scoop  16  is coupled to a staging lane mechanism  20  described below in greater detail. Suffice it to note here that staging lane mechanism  20  includes a through lane coupled to scoop  16  which in turn is coupled to a battery powered booster stage  30 . Booster stage  30  is constructed in accordance with conventional fabrication techniques and includes one or more rotating elastic wheels which engage toy vehicles passing into booster stage  30  and accelerate the toy vehicles. A reversing loop  17  is coupled to the output of booster stage  30  which in turn is coupled to a downwardly angled slide  18 . Slide  18  terminates at gap  15  and is thus spaced from a downwardly angled curved ramp  19 . The latter is coupled to straight portion  12  completing the circuit of trackset  11 .  
         [0017]    In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of toy vehicles such as toy vehicle  40  and toy vehicle  50  are able to simultaneously traverse trackset  11 . The travel path for toy vehicles  40  and  50  may be illustrated considering toy vehicle  40 . Toy vehicle  40  is moving upon straight portion  12  in the direction indicated by arrow  41 . Thereafter, toy vehicle  40  is reversed in the direction indicated by arrow  42  by loop  13  and travels through curved ramp  14  in the direction indicated by arrow  43 . At the end of ramp  14 , toy vehicle  40  is carried by its momentum across gap  15  in the direction indicated by arrow  44  to be caught by scoop  16 . Scoop  16  guides toy vehicle  40  through the through lane of staging lane mechanism  20  into booster stage  30 . Thereafter, toy vehicle  40  is accelerated by booster stage  30  into loop  17  and reversed in the direction indicated by arrow  45 . Toy vehicle  40  then moves downwardly on slide  18  in the direction indicated by arrow  46  jumping gap  15  and thereafter landing on ramp  19 . Finally, toy vehicle  40  travels down ramp  19  in the direction indicated by arrow  47  and is guided to straight portion  12  completing a circuit.  
         [0018]    In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention set forth below in FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be noted that toy vehicle  40  and toy vehicle  50  are oppositely oriented as they traverse different positions of trackset  11 . This is accomplished by providing the combination of the structure of trackset  11  and the open wheel construction of toy vehicles  40  and  50 . The ability of toy vehicles  40  and  50  to travel upon trackset  11  in either a right side up or upside down configuration is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 below.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIGS. 2 and 3 set forth identical section views of a portion of trackset  11  taken along section lines  2 - 2  in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, toy vehicle  40  is shown in its right side up configuration as it traverses a section of trackset  11  while in FIG. 3, toy vehicle  40  is shown upside down traversing the same track portion.  
         [0020]    More specifically, trackset  11  includes a pair of parallel track rails  60  and  62  each having upper surfaces  61  and  63  respectively. Trackset  11  further includes a gap  64  formed between track rails  60  and  62 .  
         [0021]    A toy vehicle  40  includes a body  55  defining a top surface  56  and a bottom surface  57 . Toy vehicle  40  further includes a pair of front wheels  70  and  71  and a pair of rear wheels  72  and  73 . Wheels  70  through  73  are freely rolling wheels and are preferably powered wheels. In addition, the configuration of top surface  56  and bottom surface  57  of body  55  provide an open wheel exposure of both the upper portions and lower portions of wheels  70  through  73 . In this manner, toy vehicle  40  is able to travel upon trackset  11  in the right side configuration shown in FIG. 2 or the inverted configuration shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0022]    Thus, in the right side upon configuration of toy vehicle  40  shown in FIG. 2, it will be noted that the bottom portions of wheels  70  through  73  roll upon surfaces  61  and  63  supporting toy vehicle  40  upon surfaces  61  and  63  in a right side up configuration.  
         [0023]    Figure sets forth the section view of FIG. 2 having toy vehicle  40  riding upon trackset  11  in its inverted configuration. The important aspect with respect to the present invention, is found in the ability of gap  64  between track rails  60  and  62  to accommodate upward extension of the top portion of toy vehicle  40  when in its in inverted configuration.  
         [0024]    More specifically, trackset  11  includes a pair of parallel track rails  60  and  62  each having upper surfaces  61  and  63  respectively. Trackset  11  further includes a gap  64  formed between track rails  60  and  62 .  
         [0025]    A toy vehicle  40  includes a body  55  defining a top surface  56  and a bottom surface  57 . Toy vehicle  40  further includes a pair of front wheels  70  and  71  and a pair of rear wheels  72  and  73 . Wheels  70  through  73  are freely rolling wheels and are preferably powered wheels. In addition, the configuration of top surface  56  and bottom surface  57  of body  55  provide an open wheel exposure of both the upper portions and lower portions of wheels  70  through  73 . In this manner, toy vehicle  40  is able to travel upon trackset  11  in the right side configuration shown in FIG. 2 or the inverted configuration shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0026]    Thus, it will be seen that gap  64  readily accommodates the downward extension of toy surface  56  of toy vehicle body  55  when toy vehicle  40  is inverted. It will be noted that in both configurations, right side up and upside down toy vehicle wheels  70  through  73  ride upon surfaces  61  and  63  of track rails  60  and  62  respectively.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 sets forth an enlarged perspective view of the staging lane and booster apparatus of the present invention inverting toy vehicle playset. As described above, trackset  11  includes a scoop  16  receiving a toy vehicle traversing gap  15  formed in trackset  11 . Scoop  16  is downwardly angled and is tapered toward an exit opening  31 . Staging lane mechanism  20  is supported in close proximity to exit opening  31  and includes a sliding carriage  35  which in turn supports a through way lane  36  and a staging lane  37 . Carriage  35  is shown in the staged position in which through way lane  36  is aligned with exit opening  31 . In this stage position, a second toy vehicle may be supported upon staging lane  37  as shown in FIG. 5 below. Through way lane  36  is coupled to booster  30  which in turn is coupled to trackset  11 .  
         [0028]    Thus, with a toy vehicle supported within staging lane  37 , and with through way ramp  36  aligned with exit opening  31  of scoop  16 , toy vehicles are able to pass from gap  15  through scoop  16  and through way ramp  36  into booster  30  and continue through trackset  11 . When the user desires to introduce the staged vehicle in staging lane  37 , the user simply slides carriage  35  in the direction indicated by arrow  38  moving ramp  36  away from exit opening  31  and aligning staging lane  37  with booster  30 . Once lane  37  has moved into a alignment with booster  30 , the incline of staging lane  37  allows the staged toy vehicle to move downwardly into booster stage  30  and to be accelerated therethrough. In this manner, a succession of toy vehicles may be staged and at the desired time introduced to the flow of toy vehicles.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 5 sets forth a simplified top view of staging lane mechanism  20  showing a vehicle in the staged position. Staging lane mechanism  20  includes a movable carriage  35  having a though way ramp  36  and a staging lane  37  supported thereon. A staging wall  39  extends across staging lane  37  to retain a toy vehicle  50  positioned upon staging lane  37 . Through way ramp  36  is aligned with exit opening  31  of scoop  16  and booster stage  30 . Thus, toy vehicles are able to pass through staging lane mechanism  20  using ramp  36  to pass from exit opening  31  of scoop  16  into booster stage  30  so long as carriage  35  remains in its staged position. Wall  39  retains toy vehicle  50  and the apparatus is stable.  
         [0030]    When the user desires to introduce toy vehicle  50  into the trackset, the user simply slides carriage  35  in the direction indicated by arrow  38  to align staging lane  37  and vehicle  50  with booster stage  30 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 6 sets forth the configuration of staging lane mechanism  20  as staged toy vehicle  50  is aligned with booster  30  and introduced into the trackset. It will be noted that in the position shown in FIG. 6, the movement of carriage  35  aligning staging lane  37  with booster  30  also moves toy vehicle  50  past staging wall  39 . This releases toy vehicle  50  and allows it to travel to booster  30 .  
         [0032]    While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.