Abstract:
A toy aqua-plane includes a number of reconfigurable parts. One of the parts is a removable tank member which provides a second interesting puzzle toy. The puzzle toy may interact with a magnet included in another of the toy parts. The toy also includes an attachable watertight electric motor for propelling it through water.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The subject invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy which is assembleable in a number of configurations and includes a number of subunits which may function as separate toys. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     To date the prior art has provided toys consisting of a number of standardized building block elements which may be assembled into various structures, such as the well-known erector set. The prior art has also provided kits which may be permanently assembled to form individual replicas of familiar objects such as airplanes and boats. However, the prior art has not provided a toy including a number of parts which are easily configurable into toys resembling vehicles such as an aqua-plane or a rocket-plane. Neither has such a toy been provided wherein subcombinations of the parts themselves comprise individual toys. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a unique and stimulating new toy. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a toy which is easily assembled into a variety of configurations. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide such a toy wherein subcombinations of the toy parts are themselves capable of performing separate toy functions. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the invention are accomplished by providing a toy including a number of press-, snap- and slide-fittable parts, which may be configured into a number of toys. Some of these parts or subcombinations of parts may perform individual toy functions. According to one aspect of the invention motor means are provided for adapting one configuration of the preferred embodiment of the invention into a propeller-driven boat or aqua-plane. According to another aspect of the preferred embodiment of the invention, parts of the toy resembling a boat or rocket plane may perform the function of a maze or puzzle toy. 
     The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the toy of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a motor assembly for propelling the toy of the preferred embodiment in water. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an assembled motor and cooperating attaching element. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the tank element of the preferred embodiment as a puzzle toy. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment assembled as a boat or plane. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the toy industry to make and use the invention and it sets forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out this invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the above art, since the generic principles of the present invention are applied herein specifically to provide a relatively economical and easily manufactured toy. 
     FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate the configuration of the elements of the preferred embodiment of the invention as an aqua-plane, preferably for transporting an individual toy aquanaut. The aqua-plane consists of a basic frame member 11, rear stabilizers 13, front stabilizers 15, a cowling 17, propulsion pods 19 and a tank platform 21. A mounting unit 23 also slide-fits onto the frame 11 and may be used to attach a rear roller axle 24. The structure and operation of these elements will be described in further detail below. 
     The frame 11 is preferably constructed of plastic, as are the rest of the toy elements, and includes a hollow nose 25 and two side frame members 27 extending back from the nose 25. The nose 25 has a circular rim 29 formed thereon on which the cowling 17 fits. The rear portion of each side frame member 27 includes a slightly canted vertical stabilizer 31 and an interior side rib 33. The two side frame members 27 are joined just in front of the vertical stabilizer 31 by means of a cylindrical beam 35, which has an aperture 37 therein. A mounting pin (not shown) located at the rear of the tank 21 slideably fits into the aperture 37 to support the tank 21 at its rear. The frame 11 also includes a number of press-fit apertures 41 for mounting the horizontal stabilizers 13, 15 or other components having a press-fit plug such as shown at 43 thereon. 
     The cowling 17 is preferably constructed of clear plastic. It has a cylindrical aperture 45 therein for mounting a plug 47 located on the front of the tank 21. The cowling 17 also has two tabs 49 mounted at its perphery. These tabs 49 cooperate with hooks 51 mounted at the side of the frame nose 25. 
     To mount the cowling 17, the cowling 17 is placed on the rib 29 of the nose 25 with the tabs 49 turned away from the hooks 51 on the nose 25. The cowling 17 is then turned until the tabs 49 lock within the hooks 51. At the same time that the cowling 17 is mounted, the plug 47 at the front of the tank 21 may be inserted into the cowling mounting cyclinder 45, thereby enabling the tank 21 to be mounted simultaneously with the cowling 17. During this mounting, the tank 21 is slid through the nose opening 25 and the tab mounted at its rear portion is inserted into the aperture 37 on the cross beam 35 at the rear of the frame 11. 
     The stabilizer members 15, 13 are simply mounted by press-fitting into the apertures 41. The rear horizontal stabilizers 13 each have a flexible mounting receptacle 53 at their respective ends. A pod 19 may be snapped into the receptacle 53 to further enhance the air- or aqua-plane effect. The pods 19 are preferably hollow and watertight to provide buoyancy and stability when the plane is placed in water. 
     The mounting member 23 has projections 55 thereon, each of which bears a slot 57, enabling the member 23 to be slid onto the frame ribs 33, thereby mounting the member 23 between the vertical stabilizers 31. The member 23 also includes a press-fit aperture 59 and a press-fit plug 61. Because of the slots 57, the member 23 may be reversed in position by 180°, thereby facilitating flexibility in mounting of various press-fit parts to the member 23. In the orientation shown, the press-fit plug 61 is at the bottom for mounting to the landing gear 24. 
     With the landing gear 24 in position the plane is equipped for ground travel. However, by utilizing the apparatus in FIGS. 2 and 3 and properly orienting the mounting member 23, the toy plane may be adapted for travel in water. FIG. 2 illustrates a watertight motor assembly and FIG. 3 illustrates the manner of attaching the assembly to the aqua-plane to provide locomotion. 
     The motor assembly of FIG. 2 includes a motor element 63 and a battery casing 65. The motor element 63 bears a sealing ring 67. The battery casing 65 bears a cooperating circular indentation 66 which permits the casing 65 to snap over the sealing ring 67. Then, by merely turning the battery casing 65, an electrical contact member 69 may be brought into contact with an electrical contact member 61 on the motor element 63 to cause energization of a propeller 73. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates how the motor assembly is mounted to the aqua-plane of FIG. 1. The mounting member 23 (FIG. 1) is oriented oppositely to the orientation of FIG. 1 such that the press-fit aperture 59 is on the bottom. A right-angle mounting member 75 bearing two press-fit plugs 77 and 79 is then used to attach the motor and battery combination 63, 65 to the aqua-plane by inserting the plug 79 into a raised groove 81 on the motor assembly. When mounted, the motor extends beneath the plane and into a surrounding body of water. Of course, other orientations of the motor are possible, for example by simply altering the orientation of the mounting member 23. In general, numerous configurations of all of the various parts described above may be made, since the press-fit connections are preferably interchangeable. 
     One of the parts removable from the aqua-plane configuration is the tank element 21, which, according to the preferred embodiment, is adapted to perform a separate toy function. This adaptation is illustrated in FIG. 4. 
     The tank 21 includes a flat, clear-plastic cover 83, having a number of circular obstructing indentations or apertures 85 therein. One end 87 of the tank 21 forms a well wherein a steel ball may rest when the tank 21 is rotated 180° in position from that illustrated in FIG. 1. At the end of the tank 21 opposite the well 87, the tank bottom surface bears a number of slots 91, into which the steel ball may slide. A magnet 93 mounted in the rear of an engine pod 19 may then be used to manipulate the steel ball through a maze of apertures 85 and into the slots 91. 
     In utilizing the puzzle toy, the orientation of the tank 21 may be varied such that the manipulations are resisted by gravity. The different slots 91 may be accorded different values dependent on difficulty in order to keep score and provide additional challenge. A maze may also be provided in the tank bottom surface such that manual manipulations of the tank alone are required to guide the steel ball through the maze. Thus, many separate games are provided by the subparts of the toy plane of the preferred embodiment. 
     As is apparent, many modifications and alterations may be made in the subject preferred embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described above.