Patent Publication Number: US-7901266-B2

Title: Toy vehicle collision set

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/798,010, filed May 4, 2006; and 60/812,190, filed Jun. 9, 2006. Both applications are incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Toy vehicle track sets may include one or more track sections arranged to form a path around which one or more toy vehicles can travel. The toy vehicles may be either self-powered or receive power from an external source. Such tracks can include various turns, twists, rolls, loops, and other features that increase playing enjoyment. 
     SUMMARY 
     A toy vehicle collision set is provided. The toy vehicle collision set includes a plurality of launchers that propel collision vehicles through the air. The launchers are aimed to propel the plurality of collision vehicles into a collision zone. The collision vehicles fired from the launchers can collide in the collision zone when fired from the launchers. The toy vehicle collision set further includes a track that directs a target vehicle along a path of travel. The path of travel includes an airborne segment in which the target vehicle jumps across the collision zone. Collision vehicles fired from the launchers can be used to knock the target vehicle off its path of travel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a toy vehicle track set including a plurality of launchers aimed to propel collision vehicles into a collision zone through which a target vehicle passes when traveling around a track. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a stunt loop portion of the track set from  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a launcher from  FIG. 1  when the launcher is cocked for firing. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the launcher from  FIG. 3  after the launcher is activated. 
         FIG. 5  shows a traveler activating the launcher of  FIG. 3  by raising a trigger on the launcher. 
         FIG. 6  shows first and second trigger assemblies for activating the launchers of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 7A ,  7 B, and  7 C show the differing triggering distances of the launchers of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  shows a link operatively connecting the first and second trigger assemblies of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     WRITTEN DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to a toy vehicle collision set that emphasizes vehicle crashing.  FIG. 1  shows a nonlimiting example of a collision set in the form of a toy vehicle track set  10 . Track set  10  includes a plurality of launchers  12  (e.g.,  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ,  12   d ,  12   e , and  12   f ) that are configured to propel collision vehicles  14  (e.g.,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   e , and  14   f ) into a collision zone  16 . Track set  10  also includes a track  18  that directs a target vehicle  20  through the collision zone. As described in detail below, one or more collision vehicles can be launched into the collision zone in an attempt to knock the target vehicle off its path, and/or two or more collision vehicles can be launched so as to crash into each other in the collision zone. 
     Track set  10  includes a booster  30  for accelerating target vehicle  20 . Booster  30  includes a pair of spaced apart spinning wheels  32  and  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, battery power is used to spin wheels  32  and  34 , although this is not required. Virtually any other power source may be used. As target vehicle  20  travels between spinning wheels  32  and  34 , the spinning wheels grip the sides of the target vehicle and shoot it forward. Booster  30  is provided as a nonlimiting example of a device which can be used to accelerate target vehicle  20 . It is to be understood that other accelerators can be used. For example, an alternative track configuration may use a ramp that allows gravity to accelerate the target vehicle. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, track set  10  includes a stunt loop  40  positioned after booster  30 . Other track arrangements can be implemented without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Some embodiments may not include any track, but instead may include only launchers for propelling vehicles into a collision zone. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of stunt loop  40 . Stunt loop  40  includes a jump segment  42 , a loop segment  44 , and a landing segment  46 . As indicated at arrow  50 , jump segment  42  can launch a target vehicle into an airborne path of travel across a gap between the jump segment and the loop segment. Loop segment  44  can catch the target vehicle from its airborne path of travel. As indicated at arrow  52 , the loop segment can then direct the target vehicle upward to an apex of the loop and then downward around the loop. As indicated at arrow  54 , the loop segment may then launch the target vehicle into an airborne path of travel across a gap between the loop segment and landing segment  46 . The landing segment can catch the target vehicle from its airborne path of travel. 
     Stunt loop  40  is configured in a substantially planar vertical configuration. As such, the airborne path of travel from the jump segment to the loop segment intersects the airborne path of travel from the loop segment to the landing segment. In other words, the gap the target vehicle jumps when entering the loop occupies the same space as the gap the target vehicle jumps when exiting the loop. This space can be referred to as collision zone  16 . 
     Turning back to  FIG. 1 , it is to be appreciated that launchers  12  are all aimed to propel collision vehicles into collision zone  16 . As such, one or more of the collision vehicles can be used to knock the target vehicle off its path as the target vehicle jumps onto or off of the loop. In particular, a user can time the launching of one or more of the collision vehicles in an attempt to cause the collision vehicle to collide with the target vehicle in the collision zone. 
     Virtually any type of launcher can be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.  FIGS. 3 and 4  show a nonlimiting example of one such launcher. Launcher  12  includes a thruster  60  that can be cocked back under tension from springs  62 . A catch assembly  64  is configured to hold the thruster in its cocked position. Catch assembly  64  includes a counterweight  66  that biases a catch  68  in an upward position. Catch  68  can hold the thruster in its cocked position when the catch is in its upward position. Catch  68  temporarily pivots downward when the thruster is cocked back, thus allowing the thruster to slide over the catch. In particular, catch assembly  68  includes a fin  70  that the thruster pushes against as it is slid back into its cocked position. When the thruster pushes against the fin, the catch is moved downward against the gravitational bias of the counterweight, allowing the thruster to be moved back into its cocked position. Once back in its cocked position, the counterweight again biases the catch in its upward position, where it holds the thruster in the cocked position. 
     The catch assembly also includes a trigger  72 . When the trigger is pushed upward, catch  68  pivots downward, releasing the thruster from its cocked position.  FIG. 5  shows a nonlimiting mechanism for pushing trigger  72  upward. In the illustrated embodiment, a traveler  74  is aligned with trigger  72 . The traveler has a ramped surface that can lift the trigger as the traveler moves laterally. Therefore, the traveler can activate the launcher by laterally moving under the trigger so as to lift the trigger. 
       FIG. 6  shows a first common trigger assembly  80  including three travelers  74   a ,  74   b , and  74   c  for activating a first group of three launchers (e.g., launchers  12   a ,  12   b , and  12   c  from  FIG. 1 ), and a second common trigger assembly  82  including three travelers  74   d ,  74   e , and  74   f  for activating a second group of three launchers (e.g., launchers  12   d ,  12   e , and  12   f  from  FIG. 1 ). For the sake of clarity and simplicity, the launchers are not illustrated in  FIG. 6 , although the position of launchers  12   d ,  12   e , and  12   f  are shown in dashed lines. It is to be understood that the launchers can be mounted to a launcher platform  84 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , travelers  74   a ,  74   b , and  74   c  move together. Therefore, it is possible to fire launchers  12   a ,  12   b , and  12   c  substantially simultaneously. By firing the launchers substantially simultaneously, three collision vehicles can be propelled into the collision zone at substantially the same time, thus creating a mid-air collision at the collision zone. If the launching of the collision vehicles is properly timed, one or more of the collision vehicles may also collide with the target vehicle as it jumps across the collision zone. 
     Common triggering assembly  80  also is configured for sequentially firing the launchers. This is accomplished by varying the distance between the trigger of each launcher and its corresponding traveler. For example,  FIG. 7A  shows a trigger  72   a  and its corresponding traveler  74   a . Trigger  72   a  is the trigger of launcher  12   a  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). The traveler is separated from the firing point of the trigger by a distance d 1 . In other words, the traveler must move at least the distance d 1  before trigger  72   a  will activate launcher  12   a . The distance d 1  can be referred to as the triggering distance of launcher  12   a.    
       FIGS. 7B and 7C  show the triggering distances for launchers  12   b  and  12   c,  respectively. In particular, the triggering distance for launcher  12   b  is d 2 , and the triggering distance for launcher  12   c  is d 3 , where d 1 &lt;d 2 &lt;d 3 . 
     The progressively increasing triggering distances allow the launchers to be fired sequentially. When the common triggering assembly is moved by a distance d 1 , the first launcher  12   a  fires, but launchers  12   b  and  12   c  remain cocked. After the first launcher is fired, the common triggering assembly can be further moved so that it travels a total distance of d 2 , at which point the second launcher  12   b  fires, while launcher  12   c  remains cocked. Then, the common triggering assembly can be further moved to travel a total distance of d 3 , at which point the third launcher  12   c  fires. In this way, the launchers can be fired one at a time. 
     Substantially simultaneous firing can be achieved by cocking all three launchers, and then quickly moving the common triggering assembly a distance d 3 . This causes all three launchers to be fired in the same triggering motion. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B, and  7 C, the common triggering assembly can include three user-manipulable levers  90   a ,  90   b , and  90   c . User-manipulable lever  90   a  is spaced from a side surface of launcher  12   a  by the distance d 1 . Therefore, if the user-manipulable lever is pressed, the side of the launcher will confine the movement of the common trigger assembly to the distance d 1 . In particular, the side of launcher  12   a  blocks the finger of the user from pushing lever  90   a  any further. Therefore, user-manipulable lever  90   a  can be used to fire launcher  12   a  independently of the other launchers. 
     User-manipulable lever  90   b  is spaced away from a side surface of launcher  12   b  by the distance d 2 , and user-manipulable lever  90   c  is spaced away from a side surface of launcher  12   c  by the distance d 3 . The relative spacing of the user-manipulable levers and the corresponding launchers provides a guide that assists a user in moving the common trigger assembly by a desired triggering distance. 
     The different triggering distances facilitate activating the launchers sequentially or activating the launchers substantially simultaneously, depending on which lever a user selects to move the common trigger assembly. For example, with all launchers cocked, user-manipulable lever  90   a  can be pressed toward launcher  12   a  to fire only launcher  12   a.    
     Alternatively, user-manipulable lever  90   b  can be pressed toward launcher  12   b  to fire both launchers  12   a  and  12   b . When lever  90   b  is pressed toward launcher  12   b,  the side of launcher  12   b  blocks the finger of the user from pushing lever  90   b  any further. When lever  90   b  is pressed toward launcher  12   b , lever  90   a  travels through an opening in the side of launcher  12   a.    
     All launchers can be fired with the same triggering motion by pressing lever  90   c  toward launcher  12   c , while lever  90   a  travels through an opening in the side of launcher  12   a , and lever  90   b  travels through an opening in the side of launcher  12   b.    
       FIG. 8  shows first common triggering assembly  80  operatively connected to second common triggering assembly  82  by a link  100 . The link translates movement from one common triggering assembly to the other common triggering assembly. Linking the movement of one common triggering assembly to the other common triggering assembly allows cooperative activation of launchers  12   a ,  12   b , and  12   c  with launchers  12   d ,  12   e , and  12   f . In other words, user-manipulable lever  90   a  can be pressed to fire launchers  12   a  and  12   f  in one triggering motion; user-manipulable lever  90   b  can be pressed to fire launchers  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   e , and  12   f  in one triggering motion; and user-manipulable lever  90   c  can be pressed to fire all six launchers in one triggering motion. 
     Turning back to  FIG. 6 , it can be seen that link  100  can be disengaged so that common trigger assembly  80  is disconnected from common trigger assembly  82 . In such a configuration, the common trigger assemblies do not move together, thus allowing launchers  12   a ,  12   b , and  12   c  to be activated independently of launchers  12   d ,  12   e , and  12   f.    
     The above described triggering mechanism is provided as a nonlimiting example. It is to be understood that any triggering mechanism that can be used to activate one or more launchers for firing a collision vehicle into the collision zone can be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. 
     While the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it should be appreciated that the spirit and scope of the invention is not limited to those embodiments. The scope of the invention is instead indicated by the appended claims. All subject matter which comes within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims is to be embraced within the scope of the claims.