Patent Publication Number: US-2015087200-A1

Title: Spinning Vehicle Apparatus and Assembly

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention generally relates to a vehicle, and more particularly, to a spinning vehicle apparatus and assembly. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Although toy vehicles have proven to be extremely successful and long-lasting products, manufacturers are constantly seeking new ways to make the operation of such vehicles more entertaining and amusing. While many toy vehicles are configured to be propelled on wheels in a straight path, some manufacturers have produced toy vehicles capable of performing one or more stunts or tricks. However, many toy vehicles have a predictable path of movement, which may become mundane or less entertaining after multiple uses. Moreover, while certain toy vehicles having spinning capabilities, their spinning behavior is typically limited to a single direction of rotation relative to the support surface on which the vehicle is propelled. 
     In addition, many toy vehicles have a tendency to flip over when performing tricks or to stop when the vehicle runs into an obstacle in the path of movement. Either of these circumstances requires the operator to manually place the vehicle back to its upright position or move the vehicle away from the obstacle and propel the vehicle again. Such an interruption may frustrate the operator and make the experience less enjoyable. As such, there is room for improvement of toy vehicles with spinning mechanisms. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, a vehicle configured to operate on a support surface includes a platform having first and second sides and upper and lower surfaces. The vehicle also includes first and second wheels operatively coupled to the platform and disposed proximate the first side of the platform. The first and second wheels each have a support surface contact patch, and the contact patches lie in a first plane. The vehicle further includes a disk rotatably coupled to the lower surface of the platform. The disk has first and second regions associated with respective first and second sides of the platform and an inner ring. In an embodiment, the disk also has an outer ring. The disk lies in a second plane disposed at an angle to the first plane, such that when the contact patches of the first and second wheels are in contact with the support surface the first region is further away from the support surface than the second region and the inner ring contacts the support surface. In an embodiment, the vehicle further includes a pinion gear configured to engage a rack gear to thereby rotate the disk when the rack gear is pulled. 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, an assembly includes a vehicle configured to operate on a support surface and a rack gear. The vehicle includes a platform having first and second sides and upper and lower surfaces. The vehicle also includes first and second wheels operatively coupled to the platform and disposed proximate the first side of the platform. The first and second wheels each have a support surface contact patch, the contact patches lying in a first plane. The vehicle further includes a disk rotatably coupled to the lower surface of the platform. The disk has first and second regions associated with respective first and second sides of the platform and an inner ring and an outer ring. The disk lies in a second plane disposed at an angle to the first plane, such that when the contact patches of the first and second wheels are in contact with the support surface the first region is further away from the support surface than the second region and the inner ring contacts the support surface. The vehicle further includes a pinion gear coupled to the disk. The rack gear is configured to engage with the pinion gear to rotate the disk and inner ring to thereby propel the vehicle on the support surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an assembly including a vehicle and a rack gear in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 1A  in which the rack gear engages with the vehicle. 
         FIG. 1C  is a partially disassembled view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A  showing a type of movement of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A  showing another type of movement of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A  showing yet another type of movement of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view of the vehicle riding on its side, similar to  FIG. 3 , in which an inner ring of a disk has a first diameter. 
         FIG. 4B  is a side view of the vehicle riding on its side, similar to  FIG. 3 , in which an inner ring of a disk has a second diameter. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 8  is a front view partially broken away of one end of the vehicle of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle of  FIG. 7  taken along line  9 - 9 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an assembly including a vehicle and a rack gear in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle of  FIG. 10  taken along line  11 - 11 . 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the vehicle of  FIG. 10  showing a type of movement of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the vehicle of  FIG. 10  showing another type of movement of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle of  FIG. 13  taken along line  14 - 14 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-14 , embodiments of a vehicle  10  and an assembly  5  including the vehicle  10  and a rack gear  12  are shown. The vehicle  10  is described herein as a toy, but the features of the vehicle  10  and various embodiments are not so limited. With specific reference to  FIGS. 1A-1C , the vehicle  10  includes a platform  14 , wheels  16 ,  18 , and a disk  20  rotatably coupled to the platform  14 . With specific reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , each of the platform  14  and the disk  20  lies substantially in a respective plane  22 ,  24 . Each wheel  16  has a contact patch  26  (described below) when the wheels  16  contact a support surface  28 . The support surface  28  may comprise, for example, a table top, a floor, the ground, and the like. The contact patches  26  of the wheels  16  lie in a plane  30 . 
     The vehicle  10  may be designed to resemble a skateboard ( FIGS. 1-9 ) or a car ( FIGS. 10-14 ), for example. In certain embodiments, a  FIG. 36  is coupled to an upper portion of the vehicle  10  so as to resemble a rider on the vehicle  10  ( FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  2 A,  2 B). 
     The vehicle  10  is configured to be propelled on the support surface  28  in various directions, in a typically unpredictable path, and spun upon different parts of the vehicle  10 . A movement path of the vehicle  10  may include straight or arcuate movement, spinning, turning, or even flipping. The vehicle  10  may be propelled by hand, by the rack gear  12 , or by another rotation source. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-9 , the platform  14  has sides  40 ,  42 , ends  44 ,  46 , and an upper surface  48  and a lower surface  50 . As shown, the sides  40 ,  42  have generally straight edges, but, alternatively, they may have arcuate edges. The ends  44 ,  46  each have a convex arcuate shape. Alternatively, however, one or both of the ends  44 ,  46  may be pointed, so as to form a triangular or diamond-shape, or they may have straight edges. While the platform  14  shown has a generally oval shape, one of ordinary skill will recognize that the platform  14  could be a variety of suitable shapes and sizes. For example, when the vehicle  10  resembles a car ( FIGS. 10-14 , described below), the platform  14  may be generally rectangular ( FIG. 1C ). 
     The upper and lower surfaces  48 ,  50  of the platform  14  are generally planar, and the platform  14  lies substantially within the plane  22 . The platform  14  may be composed of plastic or another suitable material. When the vehicle  10  is positioned with the contact patches  26  of the wheels  16  on the support surface  28 , the plane  22  is disposed at an angle relative to the plane  30  in which the contact patches  26  lie. In this way, the side  40  is distanced further from the support surface  28  than the side  42 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the platform  14  is generally parallel to the plane  24  in which the disk  20  lies (described below). Alternatively, the plane  22  may be parallel to the plane  30  ( FIG. 11 ). In that configuration, the plane  22  is disposed at an angle relative to the plane  24 . 
     The platform  14  has an aperture  52  extending vertically through the platform  14  (i.e., extending from the upper surface  48  to the lower surface  50 ). The aperture  52  generally corresponds in size and shape to pin  54  (described in further detail below). 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-9 , the wheels  16 ,  18  are operatively coupled to the platform  14 . Two wheels  16  are disposed proximate side  40  with one wheel  16  proximate each end  44 ,  46  of the platform  14 , and two wheels  18  are disposed proximate side  42  with one wheel  18  proximate each end  44 ,  46  of the platform  14 . The two wheels  16 ,  18  positioned proximate either end  44  or  46  of the platform  14  (i.e., one wheel  16 ,  18  from each side  40 ,  42 ) are operatively coupled via an axle  56 . Alternatively, however, the wheels  16 ,  18  may be coupled to individual, rather than shared, axles  56 . It will also be recognized that the number of wheels  16 ,  18  or the positions of the wheels  16 ,  18  may vary. 
     The wheels  16 ,  18  may be designed to resemble skate board wheels. The wheels  16 ,  18  may be composed of rubber or encircled with rubber o-rings for increased traction with the support surface  28 . Increased traction will cause the vehicle  10  to be propelled in a generally straighter path than wheels  16 ,  18  having less traction. 
     In an embodiment, axle supports  58  extend from the lower surface  50  of the platform  14  proximate the ends  44 ,  46  thereof. The axle supports  58  may be coupled to the platform  14  or formed integrally therewith. In the embodiment shown, the lower edge  60  of each axle support  58  is concave, forming an inverted U-shape. In this embodiment, one aperture  62 ,  64  runs through each wall  66  of the U-shape, and the axle  56  extends between the two apertures  62 ,  64 . The wheels  16 ,  18  are positioned adjacent outside edges  68 ,  70  of the axle supports  58 . In another embodiment, the lower edge  60  of the axle support  58  may be generally planar, and a single aperture (or tunnel) may run through the entire length of the axle support  58 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the outside edge  68  of the axle support  58  has a greater height than the outside edge  70  of the axle support  58 . 
     With specific reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the aperture  64  associated with the edge  70  is larger than the aperture  62  associated with the edge  68 . While the aperture  62  associated with the edge  68  generally corresponds in size and shape and is only slightly larger than a circumference of the axle  56 , the aperture  64  associated with the edge  70  is larger and allows for a certain amount of vertical movement of the axle  56  within the aperture  64 . Due to the relative sizes and positions of the apertures  62 ,  64 , when the wheels  16 ,  18  contact the support surface  28 , only the wheels  16  bear weight of the vehicle  10 . Due to space in the aperture  64  above the axle  56 , the wheels  18  are able to move upward by height h (shown in phantom in  FIG. 8 ) so as to contact the support surface  28  without bearing weight of the vehicle  10  or contributing to movement of the vehicle  10 , even when the support surface  28  is uneven. As such, the wheels  18  give the appearance of supporting the vehicle  10 , but they do not. 
     With reference still to  FIGS. 8 and 9  and as stated above, the wheels  16  contact the support surface  28  at contact patches  26 . Because the wheels  16  rotate, the term “contact patch” does not refer to a specific part of the wheel  16 ; rather, the term “contact patch” refers to the portion of the wheel  16  that contacts the support surface  28  (i.e., the lowest portion of the wheel  16 ) at any given time. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  5 , and  8 , the axle supports  58  further include aligned longitudinal apertures  72 ,  74  that generally correspond to the cross-sectional size and shape of the rack gear  12  (described below). The longitudinal apertures  72 ,  74  are positioned above the axle apertures  62 ,  64  at a height generally corresponding to a position of a pinion gear  76  (described below). However, in embodiments in which the rack gear  12  is not employed, such apertures  72 ,  74  are not necessary. Moreover, the apertures  72 ,  74  might not be necessary based on design of the axle supports  58 —for example, if the axle supports  58  do not block access to the pinion gear  76 . 
     With reference again to  FIGS. 1-9 , the disk or fly wheel  20  is rotatably coupled to the lower surface  50  of the platform  14 , intermediate the axle supports  58 . The disk  20  lies in plane  24  ( FIG. 9 ), which is disposed at an angle relative to the plane  30  of the contact patches  26 . For example, the plane  24  may be angled approximately 1-45° relative to the plane  30 . More specifically, the plane  24  may be angled 1-20° relative to the plane  30 . More specifically, the plane  24  may be angled 10° relative to the plane  30 . 
     A pin  54  that extends through apertures  52  in the disk  20  and the platform  14  couples the disk  20  to the platform  14  and creates an axis of rotation for the disk  20 . The pin  54  and the axis of rotation are substantially perpendicular to the plane  24  and are tilted from vertical by angle  0  ( FIG. 9 ), where θ is approximately 1-45°. More specifically, the pin  54  and the axis of rotation may be tilted from vertical by approximately 1-20°. More specifically, the pin  54  and the axis of rotation may be tilted from vertical by approximately 10°. In this embodiment, the pin  54  creates a generally vertical axis for the disk  20 , which allows the disk  20  to have a relatively large diameter. 
     Unlike most toy vehicles having a disk with a horizontal axis of rotation, the axis of rotation of disk  20  is substantially vertical. The substantially vertical axis of rotation allows for the disk  20  to have a larger diameter than the disk on the horizontal axis of rotation, and the larger diameter offers energy benefits and different movement possibilities than the disk on the horizontal axis of rotation. For example, for a given material, the greater the diameter of the disk  20 , the greater the mass of the disk  20 . And the greater the mass, the greater the amount of rotational kinetic energy in the rotating disk  20  for a given angular velocity and, thus, the longer the possible duration of propulsion of the vehicle  10 . In addition, the substantially vertical axis of rotation offers different movement possibilities for the vehicle  10  than the horizontal axis of rotation. 
     Based on these same principles, the material of the disk  20  may be selected so as to affect the movement path of the vehicle  10 . The disk  20  may be composed of a metal or other material having a substantial mass and may be formed by die cast. The greater the mass of the disk  20  relative to a total mass of the vehicle  10 , the longer the duration of propulsion of the vehicle  10 . 
     The disk  20  has regions  80 ,  82  associated with sides  40 ,  42  of the platform  14 . Because the disk  20  is configured to rotate, “region” does not refer to a fixed portion of the disk  20 . Rather, “region” refers to the portion of the disk  20  that is associated with respective sides  40 ,  42  at any given time. Depending on the design of the platform  14  and the position of the aperture  52  for the pin  54  in the platform  14 , the region  82  may extend beyond side  42  without extending beyond side  40 . Because the disk  20  is tilted relative to the plane  30  ( FIG. 9 ), region  80  is distanced further from the plane  30  than region  82 . 
     The disk  20  includes inner and outer rings  84 ,  86 . In the embodiment shown, the disk  20  has a lower surface  88  and a side surface  90  around a circumference of the disk  20 . The outer ring  86  encircles the side surface  90  of the disk  20 . The inner ring  84  is coupled to the lower surface  88  of the disk  20 . The inner ring  84  is positioned intermediate the outer ring  86  and the pin  54 . An angled annular surface  94  lies between the lower surface  88  and the side surface  90 . 
     Due to the positions of the inner and outer rings  84 ,  86 , only one of the inner and outer rings  84 ,  86  contacts the support surface  28  during the vehicle&#39;s  10  typical operations. In other words, when the inner ring  84  contacts the support surface  28 , the outer ring  86  does not, and vice versa. Moreover, because the disk  20  is tilted relative to the support surface  28 , only a portion of the inner or outer ring  84 ,  86  corresponding with region  82  of the disk  20  contacts the support surface  28  at a given time. The remainder of the inner or outer ring  84 ,  86  is distanced from the support surface  28  at that given time. When the inner ring  84  contacts the support surface  28  and the vehicle  10  is propelled on the inner ring  84 , the wheels  16 ,  18  also contact the support surface  28 , and the lower surface  50  of the platform  14  faces the support surface  28  ( FIG. 2A ). When the inner ring  84  contacts the support surface  28 , the angled annular surface  94  may also contact the support surface  28 . When the outer ring  86  contacts the support surface  28  and the vehicle  10  is propelled on the outer ring  86 , the side  42  of the platform  14  is disposed proximate the support surface  28 , and the lower surface  88  of the disk  20  is generally orthogonal to the support surface  28  ( FIGS. 4A and 4B ). 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , a diameter of the inner ring  84  may be altered to affect movement characteristics of the vehicle  10 . For example, the inner ring  84  shown in  FIG. 4A  has a diameter d 1  that is larger than diameter d 2  of the inner ring  84  in  FIG. 4B . In an embodiment, the disk  20  may be configured such that a plurality of inner rings  84  having different diameters may be removably and interchangeably coupled thereto. In this way, the operator may operate the vehicle  10  with an inner ring  84  of a certain diameter, then replace that inner ring  84  with an inner ring  84  of a different diameter so as to change the movement characteristics of the vehicle  10 . For example, the greater the diameter of the inner ring  84 , the faster the vehicle  10  is propelled on the support surface  28  for a given angular velocity of the disk  20  and the lower the torque of the disk  20 . 
     The inner and outer rings  84 ,  86  may comprise o-rings composed of rubber or another material that provides traction. Alternatively, the inner and outer rings  84 ,  86  may be formed integrally with the disk  20 . The inner and outer rings  84 ,  86  have generally rounded outer surfaces. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1C and 6 , the vehicle  10  further includes pinion gear  76  coupled to the pin  54 , intermediate the disk  20  and the lower surface  50  of the platform  14 . The pinion gear  76  may be integrally formed with the disk  20  or coupled thereto, so as to be fixed relative to and thereby rotate with the disk  20  about the pin  54 . The pinion gear  76  has teeth  98  corresponding in size and shape to teeth  100  of the rack gear  12 . The teeth  98  on a portion of the pinion gear  76  are aligned with the apertures  72 ,  74  in the axle supports  58 . In this way, the rack gear  12  may be inserted through the apertures  72 ,  74  and mesh with the pinion gear  76 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A-1C ,  5 , and  6 , the rack gear  12 , which is also commonly referred to as a zip strip or zip cord, comprises an elongate structure  102  having teeth  100  on at least one side of the elongate structure  102 . A width and a height of the elongate structure  102  are slightly smaller than, and generally correspond in size and shape, to the apertures  72 ,  74  in the axle supports  58 . The elongate structure  102  has an end  104  that is configured for insertion through the axle apertures  62 ,  64 . The elongate structure  102  has a length greater than a length of the vehicle  10 . However, one of ordinary skill will recognize that the length of the rack gear  12  may vary depending on the desired propulsion of the vehicle  10 . The rack gear  12  includes a handle  106  at the end of the elongate structure  102  opposite the end  104 . In this way, the rack gear  12  generally forms a T-shape. The rack gear  12  may be composed of plastic or another suitable material. 
     When the rack gear  12  is not used with the vehicle  10 , the pinion gear  76  may not be necessary. In alternative embodiments, the vehicle  10  may use an external motor or a rotating source other than the rack gear  12  to effect rotation of the disk  20 . Particularly when the rack gear  12  or other rotating source is used, the vehicle  10  should clearly indicate an intended direction of movement of the vehicle  10  or what is the front of the vehicle  10 , so that the vehicle  10  will be propelled away from the operator and not accidentally propelled toward the operator. 
     As mentioned above, in certain embodiments, the  FIG. 36  is coupled to the platform  14  and disposed proximate the upper surface  48  of the platform  14 . The  FIG. 36  may be removably coupled to the platform  14 , and various  FIGS. 36  may be interchangeably used with the vehicle  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1A , the platform  14  has a protrusion  110  protruding from the upper surface  48 , and the protrusion  110  corresponds in size and shape to a socket (not shown) in the  FIG. 36 . In this way, the protrusion  110  may be inserted into the socket of the  FIG. 36  so as to removably couple the  FIG. 36  to the platform  14 . Alternatively, the platform  14  may not include protrusion  110  when it is not configured to have  FIG. 36  coupled thereto. 
     The  FIG. 36  may be composed of rubber, plastic, or any other suitable material. It will be recognized that design options for the  FIG. 36  are limitless. For example, the  FIG. 36  may resemble any type of person, animal, or object. 
     The  FIG. 36  includes a body  112 , an upper portion (or head)  114 , and at least one arm  116  extending from the body  112 . The head  114  may be rounded or slightly conical, so as to permit spinning of the vehicle  10  thereupon. The arm  116  extends outwardly beyond the side  42  of the platform  14 . A distal portion of the arm  116  contacts the support surface  28  when the outer ring  86  contacts the support surface  28 . In this way, the arm  116  helps prevent the vehicle  10  from flipping over. 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 10-14 , the same principles described above are generally applicable to an embodiment in which the vehicle  10  resembles a car. A shell  120  is positioned over at least a portion of the upper surface  48  of the platform  14 . As shown, the shell  120  is coupled directly to the platform  14 . However, one of ordinary skill will recognize that the shell  120  may be coupled to the vehicle  10  in a variety of ways. For example, the shell  120  may alternatively be coupled to at least one of the axle supports  58 . A size and shape of the vehicle  10 , as well as the shell  120 , are designed so that the vehicle  10  resembles a typical toy car. However, it will be recognized that the shell  120  could resemble a variety of other vehicles  10  or limitless possibilities of other objects including, for example, insects. Moreover, an end  122  of the shell  120  may have a rounded or conical shape that allows the vehicle  10  to spin on the end  122  of the shell  120 . 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 10-14 , the wheels  16 ,  18  are designed to resemble car wheels and, thus, are slightly larger than the wheels  16 ,  18  of the skateboard embodiment. Moreover, in the car embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the disk  20  may only extend beyond the side  42  (i.e., not beyond both sides  40 ,  42 ). In this embodiment, the shell  120  should be configured so as to not prevent the outer ring  86  from contacting the support surface  28 . In another embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the disk  20  may not extend beyond either side  40 ,  42 , in which case, the vehicle  10  may not be propelled on the outer ring  86 . 
     Depending on the configuration of the shell  120  and whether the vehicle is to be operated with the rack gear  12 , it may be necessary for the shell  120  to include cutouts or otherwise be formed so as to provide access for the end  104  of the rack gear  12  to be inserted into the aperture  62  of the axle support  58 . 
     Similar to the skateboard embodiment, the  FIG. 36  may be coupled to an upper portion of the vehicle  10 , such as an upper surface  124  of the shell  120  or the upper surface  48  of the platform  14 , if the platform  14  is not fully covered by the shell  120 . 
     In addition to movement on or about the inner and outer rings  84 ,  86  of the disk  20 , the size and shape of the vehicle  10  may provide other surfaces upon which the vehicle  10  may spin. For example, the vehicle  10  may sit up on and spin on the back wheels  16 ,  18  ( FIG. 2B ). Similarly, the vehicle  10  may spin on an end of the platform  14  or the shell  120  ( FIG. 12 ). In these positions, the disk  20  does not contact the support surface  28 , and the platform  14  is positioned generally vertically. As another option, the vehicle  10  may spin about the head  114  of the  FIG. 36 . In this embodiment, no part of the vehicle  10  contacts the support surface  28 , and the vehicle  10  is generally positioned upside down (i.e., the wheels  16 ,  18  are on an opposite side of the platform  14  from the support surface  28 ). 
     In an embodiment, the pin  54  may have a convex or dome-shaped end  130  that extends slightly past and is disposed adjacent the lower surface  88  of the disk  20 . The dome-shaped end  130  may correspond to another pin or a tower-like platform (not shown) having an end with a corresponding concave shape. In this way, the vehicle  10  may be positioned on top of the platform such that the dome-shaped end  130  of the pin  54  rests in the convex end of the platform. The pin  54  may then serve as an axle about which the vehicle  10  may spin on top of the platform. Spinning may be effected by hand power or the rack gear  12 , for example. 
     In use, for the assembly  5  including the vehicle  10  and the rack gear  12 , the vehicle  10  is positioned on support surface  28  such that a front end of the vehicle  10  faces away from the operator. One hand is placed on one or more sides  40 ,  42  or a back end (i.e., the end closest to the operator&#39;s body) of the vehicle  10 . The end  104  of the rack gear  12  is then inserted through the aperture  72  in the axle support  58  at the back of the vehicle  10  such that the teeth  100  of the rack gear  12  mesh with the teeth  98  of the pinion gear  76 . The end  104  of the rack gear  12  may be further extended through the aperture  74  in the axle support  58  of the front end  44 , such that the handle  106  is positioned proximate the back end of the vehicle  10  and the end  104  of the rack gear  12  extends beyond the front end of the vehicle  10 . The handle  106  of the rack gear  12  is then rapidly pulled back toward the operator&#39;s body, so as to cause the teeth  100  of the rack gear  12  to spin the pinion gear  76  and the disk  20  as the rack gear  12  is pulled out of the vehicle  10 . When the rack gear  12  is pulled out of the vehicle  10 , the operator releases his or her hand from the vehicle  10 , and the spinning disk  20  propels the vehicle  10  away from the operator as soon as the operator releases his or her hold of the vehicle  10 . 
     Alternatively, in an embodiment in which the vehicle  10  is operated without the rack gear  12 , an operator simply uses his or her hand to propel the vehicle  10 . Or as another alternative, an external motor or other rotating source may be used to cause rotation of the disk  20  and, thus, propel the vehicle  10 . 
     With respect to each of the embodiments described above, one of ordinary skill will recognize that the aspects of the invention described above may be combined in a wide variety of embodiments not explicitly described above. Moreover, the vehicle  10 , the rack gear  12 , and/or the  FIG. 36  may be designed and decorated to create a wide variety of appearances. One of ordinary skill will recognize almost limitless creative options for the design and decoration of the vehicle  10 , the rack gear  12 , and the  FIG. 36 . 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of specific embodiments thereof, and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, they are not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. The various features discussed herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of the general inventive concept.