Abstract:
An articulated toy figure includes a torso and pairs of articulated arms and legs. The articulated legs are engaged with the torso at a pair of hip joints, each rotatable about two substantially perpendicular horizontal axes. Each leg has an upper member and a lower member engaged with the upper member at a knee joint to rotate about a third horizontal axis. The hip and knee joints are sufficiently lax for each leg to rotate when moved from an initial position to a displaced, raised position and to return towards the initial position when the leg is released to substantially simulate possible leg movements of a human being. A spring connected between each of the upper leg members and the torso biases each upper leg to return to its initial position after having been moved.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 60/339,885, filed Oct. 31, 2001, and U.S. Patent Application No. 60/371,908, filed Apr. 11, 2002, both entitled “Articulated Rider for a Two-Wheeled Toy Vehicle”. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention generally relates to an articulated figure used in combination with a remote-controlled toy vehicle, and more particularly to an articulated rider figure for use with a remote-controlled toy motorcycle.  
           [0003]    Remote-controlled vehicles are generally known. Specifically, two-wheeled remote-controlled toys are generally known. U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,891 discloses a two-wheeled wireless controlled toy motorcycle with improved stability in which a four-bar steering mechanism and a weighted gyroscopic flywheel are used to enhance the stability of the vehicle.  
           [0004]    Articulated toy figures are also generally known. However, their use together is not generally known. It would be advantageous to use an articulated rider figure in conjunction with a ridden toy vehicle like a motorcycle, particularly, to simulate the performance of freestyle tricks by the rider when the vehicle is driven over jumps and bumps.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Briefly stated, in one aspect, the present invention is an articulated toy figure including a torso, a pair of articulated legs, and at least one hip spring. The torso has a front side, a rear side, and two opposing lateral sides between the front and rear sides. The pair of articulated legs are rotatably engaged with the torso at a pair of hip joints. Each hip joint is rotatable about two horizontal axes. A first horizontal axis extends generally through the front and rear sides. A second horizontal axis extends generally through the lateral sides of the torso. Each leg has a lower leg member and an upper leg member. The lower leg member is rotatably engaged with the upper leg member at a knee joint. The knee joint is rotatable about a third horizontal axis extending generally parallel to the second horizontal axis. The knee joint has a stop to prevent forward hyperextension of the lower leg with respect to the upper leg at the knee joint. The hip and knee joints are sufficiently lax for each leg to rotate when raised from an initial position to a higher displaced position and to return toward the initial position when the leg is released, whereby the articulated figure substantially simulates possible leg movements of a human being. The at least one hip spring is connected between at least one of the upper leg members and the torso, so as to bias the at least one upper leg to return to the initial position after having been moved from the initial position.  
           [0006]    In another aspect, the present invention is a combination toy including a toy vehicle, an articulated toy figure, and at least one torsional spring. The toy vehicle has a propulsion motor for self movement and a handlebar with distal ends. The articulated toy figure has a torso with a plurality of limbs including at least a pair of arms with ends engaged with the distal ends of the handlebar while the figure is in a seated position on the vehicle. The at least one torsional spring is operably coupled with at least one of the handlebar and the arms so as to bias the toy figure back to the seated position on the vehicle when the figure is bounced up from the seated position during movement of the vehicle.  
           [0007]    In another aspect, the present invention is an articulated rider for use with a remotely controlled toy vehicle. The rider comprises a torso and at least one torsional spring. The torso has rotatable limbs. The at least one torsional spring is removably coupled with at least one limb of the rider to rotatably couple the rider to the vehicle. The rotatable limbs randomly rotate from an initial riding position in response to the movements of the vehicle. The at least one limb is biased to return to the initial riding position by the at least one torsional spring, thereby simulating movements of a rider performing freestyle stunts. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.  
         [0009]    In the drawings:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is an left elevational view of a toy in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention with an articulated rider figure in a sitting position and a raised position parallel to a motorcycle portion (in phantom);  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the right, front side of the toy in FIG. 1 with the articulated rider figure in a raised position from the motorcycle portion;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the figure of the toy in FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a left elevational view of the figure of the toy in FIG. 1; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the handlebar assembly of the toy in FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right”, “left”, “upper” and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.  
         [0016]    Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 a preferred embodiment of a toy vehicle  10  in accordance with the present invention. A remotely controlled vehicle, indicated generally at  10 , embodying the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The vehicle  10  comprises a motorcycle portion  20  and a rider portion  40 . The motorcycle portion  20  comprises a main body  32 , a front wheel  22  freely rotatable about a front axle  23 , a back wheel  24  rotatable about a back axle  25  and operatively connected to and powered by a drive motor (not depicted), and a skid plate  26  with right and left skid plate attachment points  28 ,  30 . The skid plate  26  aids in keeping the vehicle  10  upright and traveling on its front and back wheels  22 ,  24  by allowing the vehicle  10  to lean over partially but not so far as to cause the front and back wheels  22 ,  24  to leave the ground.  
         [0017]    Although the main body  32  of the present invention consists of a pair of mated half-shells, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention that the main body  32  be some other monocoque construction or a separate frame/separate body construction. “Main body” is intended to cover both a monocoque construction in which the body also functions as a chassis bearing loads on the vehicle as well as a conventional chassis supporting a separate mounted body.  
         [0018]    Referring to FIG. 3, the rider portion  40  is an articulated FIG. 41 with a handlebar assembly  50  (FIG. 5). The FIG. 41 comprises a head member  42 ; a torso member  44 ; left and right arm members  46 ,  48 ; left and right upper leg members  62 ,  64 ; left and right lower leg members  66 ,  68 ; and left and right boot attachment points  70 ,  72 . The head member  42  is in engagement with the top of the torso member  44 . The torso member  44  has a front side, a rear side, and two opposing lateral sides between the front and rear sides. The left and right arm members  46 ,  48  are rotatably engaged with the handlebar assembly  50  at their distal ends and rotatably engaged with the torso member  44  at their proximal ends, allowing the FIG. 41 to lift from-the motorcycle portion  20  and consistently return to a seated position after the vehicle  10  has landed from a jump. The left and right upper leg members  62 ,  64  are connected to the torso portion  44  with a pair of hinges, effectively acting as hip joints  61 , allowing free rotation of the left and right upper leg members  62 ,  64  with respect to the torso member  44  about two horizontal axes. A first horizontal axis extends generally through the front and rear sides and the second horizontal axis extends generally through the lateral sides of the torso member  44 . Left and right hip springs  82 ,  84  are connected between the torso member  44  and the left and right upper leg members  62 ,  64 , respectively. The left and right lower leg members  66 ,  68  are attached to the left and right upper leg members  62 ,  64  with ball joints, providing free rotation of the left and right lower leg members  66 ,  68  with respect to the left and right upper leg members  62 ,  64 . The ball joints effectively act as knee joints  65 . The presence of the knee joints  65  allows for free rotation of the leg members  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68 , limited only by the interaction of adjacent stop surfaces  74 ,  76 ,  78 ,  80  (FIG. 4) and adjacent guide surfaces  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92  (FIG. 3) to preclude unnatural movement. The knee joints  65  are generally rotatable about a third horizontal axis. The third horizontal axis extends generally parallel to the second horizontal axis.  
         [0019]    The hip joints  61  between the torso  44  and the upper leg members  62 ,  64  and the knee joints  65  between the upper leg members  62 ,  64  and the lower leg members  66 ,  68  are sufficiently lax to permit rotation, when moved by an external force, from an initial position to a displaced position and to return to the initial position upon cessation of the external force, thereby simulating possible leg movements of a human being. The hip springs  82 ,  84  act to bias the upper leg members  62 ,  64  toward the initial position after having been moved from the initial position. Although the FIG. 41 is described as having two hip springs  82 ,  84 , it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention for only one upper leg member  62  to have one hip spring  82 .  
         [0020]    At the bottom of the left and right lower leg members  66 ,  68  are the left and right boot attachment points  70 ,  72 , which allow for optional engagement with the left and right skid plate attachment points  28 ,  30 . The boot attachment points  70 ,  72  can be removably engaged (slidably or snap, depending upon the design) with the skid plate attachment points  28 ,  30 , at the option of the user, to maintain the feet of the rider portion  40  locked to the skid plate  26  and prohibit the rider portion  40  from freely moving, thereby enabling the vehicle  10  to act as a normal remotely controlled toy motorcycle in a first mode of play. The attachment does not prevent all movement of the rider portion  40  on the motorcycle portion  20 . Disengaging the boot attachment points  70 ,  72  from the skid plate attachment points  28 ,  30  allows the rider portion  40  to move freely in response to jumps and bumps which the vehicle  10  is controlled over by the user, thereby simulating free style stunts in a second mode of play.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 5, the handlebar assembly  50  comprises a cross member or handlebar  51 ; left and right grips  52 ,  54 ; a shaft  56 ; and left and right springs  58 ,  60 . The cross member  51  is generally U-shaped, larger in width than in height, with the distal ends of the cross member  51  turned outwardly to define opposing lateral sides of the cross member  51 . The handlebar assembly  50  is configured to generally mimic a conventional motorcycle handlebar in appearance. The base  51   a  of the cross member  51  is rigidly engaged with the motorcycle portion  20 . The outwardly turned distal ends of the cross member  51  are hollow to accommodate the shaft  56  extending therethrough, generally parallel to the base of the cross member  51  and extending outwardly from the ends of the cross member  51 . The left and right grips  52 ,  54  are engaged with the ends of the shaft  56  such that they conceal the ends of the shaft  56  protruding from the ends of the cross member  51 . The grips  52 ,  54  and the shaft  56  are rotatable within the ends of the cross member  51 . The grips  52 ,  54  are removably engaged by hands  49  at the distal ends of the arm members  46 ,  48  of the rider portion  40 . The grips  52 ,  54  provide the rotatable connection of the hands  49  with the handlebar  50 . The left and right springs  58 ,  60  are held within the grips  52 ,  54  in engagement with the shaft  56  and anchored against the ends of the cross member  51 . The springs  58 ,  60  are torsional and facilitate the rider portion  40  to lift up from the motorcycle portion  20  and rotate partially about the cross member  51  in response to jumps and bumps (FIGS. 1 and 2). More particularly, the torsional springs  58 ,  60  are under maximum torsional load when the FIG. 41 is seated on the motorcycle portion  20  and unload or relax as the FIG. 41 elevates off the motorcycle portion  20 . Once the vehicle  10  completes its maneuvers, gravity overcomes the force of the torsional springs  58 ,  60 , and the rider portion  40  falls back into a seated position on the motorcycle portion  20 , reloading the torsional springs  58 ,  60 . The springs  58 ,  60  are not strong enough to maintain the rider portion  40  in a rotated position. Either hand  49  can be removed from the handlebar assembly  50  to simulate one-handed stunts as the vehicle  10  is driven over bumps and jumps.  
         [0022]    In another embodiment (not separately shown), the handlebar assembly  50  has one torsional spring  58  and one rotatable grip  52  that is engaged by the torsional spring  58  and one hand  49 . The one hand  49  cannot be removed from the handlebar assembly  50 . The remaining hand  49  is in optional engagement with the handlebar assembly  50  and can be removed from the handlebar assembly  50  to simulate one-handed stunts as the vehicle  10  is driven over bumps and jumps.  
         [0023]    In another embodiment, the handlebar assembly  50  has no shaft  56 . Instead, the grips  52 ,  54  are independently rotatably engaged with the handlebar assembly  50 . At least one of the grips  52 ,  54  has at least one of the torsional springs  58 ,  60  engaged between the at least one grip  52 ,  54  and the handlebar assembly  50  so that the at least one of the grips  52 ,  54  is spring-biased to return the FIG. 41 toward the original position after having been moved.  
         [0024]    In another embodiment, fixed grips  52 ,  54  are engaged with the handlebar assembly  50 , and the FIG. 41 is rotatable about the grips  52 ,  54  at hands  86 ,  88 . The torsional springs  58 ,  60  are engaged between the hands  86 ,  88  and the fixed grips  52 ,  54  so as to bias the FIG. 41 toward the original position.  
         [0025]    In another embodiment, there are no grips  52 ,  54 . The FIG. 41 is rotatably engaged directly with the handlebar assembly  50 , the hands  49  being rotatable about the handlebar assembly  50 . The torsional springs  58 ,  60  are engaged between the hands  49  of the FIG. 41 and the handlebar assembly  50 , so as to bias the FIG. 41 toward the original position.  
         [0026]    In another embodiment, the arms  46 ,  48  of the FIG. 41 are rotatably engaged with the handlebar assembly  50 , the FIG. 41 not having separate distinct hands  49 .  
         [0027]    The vehicle  10  is used with a hand operated remote control unit (not depicted) having a pair of manual controls and control and radio transmission circuitry, which is conventional. One manual control activates a drive motor (not depicted), which causes rotation of the back wheel  24  (FIG. 1) about the back axle  25  (FIG. 1). The other manual control activates a steering motor (not depicted), which causes rotation of the front wheel  22  (FIG. 1).  
         [0028]    Additional features of the vehicle  10  including the propulsion and steering drives and others not expressly referenced are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,891, which is incorporated by reference herein. Also incorporated by reference herein are U.S. Patent Application Nos. 60/339,885 and 60/371,908, which are related to this application. While the invention has been described with respect to a motorcycle, it will be appreciated that it could be incorporated into other types of vehicles equipped with handlebars to be ridden by a rider including motorbikes, three and four wheel all terrain vehicles (ATV&#39;s), snow mobiles, and wave runners.  
         [0029]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.