Abstract:
A motorized toy incorporating a drive source and moving while performing a series of predetermined repetitive motions, includes a plurality of protruding pieces extending from an interior of a body to the outside thereof, passing through notches cut in the peripheral portions of a cover member. The body incorporates main and auxiliary shafts, each rotating by receiving, via gears, transmission of a driving force from the drive source. The protruding pieces are automatically housed in the cover member, as they interlock with rotation of the main shaft. Rotation of the auxiliary shaft is transferred to the cover member via levers actuated during the period that the protruding pieces are housed within the cover member, and the cover member makes a predetermined number of revolutions. Upon completion of the rotation of the cover member, the protruding pieces housed therein spring out of the body. These operations are continually repeated.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a motorized toy, and more particularly, to a toy which moves over a surface while performing predetermined repetitive operations in such a manner that a plurality of components of the body of the motorized toy are moved synchronously with one another. 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a toy which moves over a surface while continually repeating new patterns of motions in such a manner that the motions of a plurality of parts of the body of the toy are synchronized with one another. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a motorized toy comprising: a body incorporating a drive source, a propelling unit driven by the drive source, a main shaft rotated by receiving transmission of the driving force from the drive source via gears and an auxiliary shaft; a cover member formed with a plurality of notches in its outer periphery and mounted above the body of the toy: and protruding pieces, which are inserted into the notches of the cover member, to which elastic forces acting in outer directions of the body are imparted, wherein the protruding pieces are accommodated in the interior of the cover member while interlocking with rotations of the main shaft, rotation of the auxiliary shaft is transferred to the cover member via a lever actuated during an accommodating period of the protruding pieces in the cover member to cause a predetermined number of revolutions of the cover member, and the protruding pieces revert to their initial protruding state by being released from the accommodating state after the cover member has finished rotating. 
     The drive source employed in the present invention preferably may be implemented with an electric motor, but the motive power may also be generated by a spiral spring. The propelling unit may be designed for traveling on land (or a suitably firm surface) by using wheels, and/or designed for traveling on a water surface by using a screw (propeller). Thus, the propelling unit may be designed as an amphibian device. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the structure of one embodiment of a motorized toy according to the present invention: 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view depicting an accommodating mechanism for protruding pieces; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the interior of cover member; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the device in its entirety. (As depicted in FIG. 4, the device is formed to assume a turtle-like configuration, including a carapace, a head, a tail, and legs.) 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention and the operation thereof will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, for example, the invention is designed for travel on a water surface. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a plastic body 1 incorporates a drive source 2 (motor), the rotation thereof being transferred via gears 11, 12, and 13 to a propelling unit 3 (screw propeller) to propel the toy. The rotation of the drive source 2 is conveyed via gears 11. 12, 14, 15, and 16 to a gear 17 having an auxiliary shaft 21 fixed thereto. A plate clutch 15a is fixed to gear 15. The auxiliary shaft 21 is inserted into a main shaft 22 which rotates when receiving power transmission via gears 18 and 19, thereby rotating the auxiliary shaft 21 at a greater number of revolutions than that of the main shaft 22. An engagement piece 23 is attached to an upper portion of the auxiliary shaft 21 via a spring 24. The engagement piece 23 slides up and down, so as to transfer the rotation of the auxiliary shaft 21 to the cover member 4. 
     Retract disk 25, which is composed of six layers, houses protruding pieces 5 in cover member 4. Each of the layers of the retract disk 25 are fixed to the main shaft 22. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the retract disk 25 includes a gear 25a formed on part of its periphery. Upon rotation, the retract disk 25 engages a rectilinear gear part 5a extending from each protruding piece 5, and retracts the protruding piece 5 into the cover member 4. 
     Fitting parts 5b of the protruding pieces 5 are fitted in slide grooves 6a, formed in a partition plate 6 in the radial directions thereof, whereby the protruding pieces 5 slidably reciprocate in the radial direction of the partition plate. The protruding pieces 5 also engage ring-like elastic members 7, thus imparting elastic forces in an outward direction relative to the body 1. 
     A disk 26 is fixed to the main shaft 22 above the retract disk 25, and includes protrusions 26a and 26b formed on inner and outer peripheries thereof so as to partly protrude in the peripheral direction. The disk 26 rotates together with the main shaft 22. 
     A first lever 31, a second lever 32, and a third lever 33 are rotatably attached to a board 8 disposed above the disk 26. A stopper plate 27 is accommodated in a space defined by a lower part of the first lever 31 and by the board 8 such that the stopper plate 27 is pushed downwardly by a spring 28. The stopper plate 27 stops the protruding piece 5 by engaging a stopping portion 5c formed on the protruding piece 5 when housing the protruding piece 5. One end of the first lever 31 is formed by two parts 31a, 31b with a fulcrum being substantially positioned therebetween. One end part 31a is placed on the protrusion 26a partly projecting from the outer periphery of the disk 26, while a second end part 31b impinges on the stopper plate 27 from below. The other end 31c of the first lever 31, having the fulcrum substantially positioned therebetween, engages a notch 4b cut in an inner portion of the cover member 4. 
     The second lever 32 is formed by two parts 32a, 32b emanating from its fulcrum. Specifically, a lower end part 32a is placed on the protrusion 26b partly projecting from the inner periphery of the disk 26, while an upper end part 32b is inserted between the board 8 and the engagement piece 23. 
     The third lever 33 has an end part 33a which engages the engagement piece 23, while another end part 33b engages a notch 4c cut in an inner portion of the cover member 4. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the interior of the cover member 4 has a buoyancy imparting material such as a foamed styrene. A rudder 1a for steering is provided at a rear part of the body 1, and is used to determine a course of travel of the toy on the water surface and to prevent the body 1 from rotating. The operation of the above-described embodiment will be described hereinbelow. Referring to FIG. 1, when actuating the drive source 2, the propelling unit 3 (screw) is driven, and simultaneously the main shaft 22 and the auxiliary shaft 21 begin rotating In this state, the rotary motion of the engagement piece 23 fitted to the auxiliary shaft 21 is not immediately transferred to the cover member 4, and therefore the cover member 4 remains static. When the main shaft 22 continues to rotate further, the gear 25a of the retract disk 25 which rotates concomitantly therewith meshes with the gear part 5a of the protruding piece 5, resulting in the protruding piece 5 being gradually accommodated in the cover member 4. When the protruding piece 5 is completely housed in the interior of the cover member 4, the end part 31a of the first lever 31 shifts to a flat portion 26c from the upper portion of the protrusion 26a due to the rotation of the disk 26. As a result, the first lever 31 moves in the direction of arrow a shown in FIG. 1. The other end part 31c of the first lever 31 disengages from the notch 4b of the cover member 4, and simultaneously the stopper plate 27 is thrust downwardly by the spring 28 to move in the direction of arrow a shown in FIG. 1. 
     Subsequently, the stopper plate 27 engages the stopping portion 5c of the protruding piece 5, thus maintaining the accommodating state of the protruding piece 5 within cover member 4. Almost concurrently with this step, the lower end part 32a of the second lever 32 shifts from the flat portion 26c of the disk 26 to the protrusion 26b partly projecting from the inner periphery of the disk 26, and the lower end part 32a moves in the direction of arrow b shown in FIG. 1. 
     As a result, the engagement piece 23 slides upwards (in the direction of arrow shown in FIG. 1, while rotating with the auxiliary shaft 21, and engages (meshes) an engagement portion 4d formed in the interior of the cover member 4. Consequently, the cover member 4 start rotating after receiving the rotational force of the auxiliary shaft 21. At this time, the upward movement of the engagement piece 23 causes an end part 33a of the third lever 33 to move in the direction of arrow shown in FIG. 1, and he other end part 33b of the third lever 33 to disengage from he notch 4c formed in the interior of the cover member 4. 
     After the cover member 4 has rotated a predetermined number of times, the lower end part 32a of the second lever 32 shifts to the flat portion 26c from the protrusion 26b partly projecting from the inner periphery of the disk 26 (the state shown in FIG. 1). Concomitantly, the engagement piece 23 slides downwardly and disengages from the cover member 4, and as a result the rotation of the auxiliary shaft 21 is not transferred to the cover member 4. Furthermore, the third lever 33 also moves. Hence, the end part 33b of the third lever engages the notch 4c formed in the interior of the cover member 4 completely stopping the rotation of the cover member 4 (as shown in the state of FIG. 1). 
     Almost concurrently with this motion, one end part 31a of the first leVer 31 shifts from the flat portion 26c to the protrusion 26a partly protruding from the outer periphery of the disk 26 by the rotational force of the disk 26 (as shown in the state of FIG. 1). As a result, the stopper plate 27 also is forced to move upwardly, thereby disengaging from the stopping portion 5c of the protruding piece The protruding piece 5, to which elastic forces acting in the outer direction of the body are imparted from the ring-like elastic member 7, passes through the notch 4a of the cover member 4 and springs out of the body when the engagement is released. Thus, an operation is completed. This operation is thereafter continually repeated. 
     The motorized toy of the present invention has been described in detail by way of the aforementioned exemplary embodiment. The present invention is not, however, limited to this embodiment. A variety of modifications or changes may be practicable within a range which does not depart from the scope of the invention. For instance, the exterior design is not confined to animal-like designs such as a turtle or the like, but the exterior design may take a variety of forms. According to the embodiment discussed above, the min and auxiliary shafts are constructed separately to rotate through different numbers of revolutions. However, the main and auxiliary shafts may be formed as a single shaft to undergo the same number of revolutions. Additionally, the number of revolutions of the cover member 4 during the operation need not necessarily be an integer value. For example, if six protruded pieces are disposed (each separated by 60° about the rotary shaft), the number of revolutions may be set to 1 1/6. The configurations of the levers may also be modified. 
     According to the motorized toy of the present invention, the protruding pieces are automatically housed in the cover member, and thereafter the cover member makes a predetermined number of revolutions. After the predetermined number of revolutions has been completed, the protruding pieces housed therein spring out. The toy continues to travel while repetitively performing a series of motions not found in conventional systems. The toy incorporating these motions provides an interesting children&#39;s toy. 
     While certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, many changes and modifications within the spirit of the invention will be apparent to those of working skill in this technical field. Thus, the scope of the invention should be considered as limited only by the appended claims.