Abstract:
An educational and entertaining toy vehicle that includes a body member that is designed for including a mechanical music movement. The music movement is coupled to the rear axle via a gear system that winds the spring of the music movement through a first gear ratio while pushing the vehicle in the reverse direction and propels the vehicle through a second gear ratio on release of the vehicle. The release of said spring is controlled by a speed regulator. The toy vehicle is further enhanced by including a toy figure that is representative of the included tune and a lenticular image that wraps around a substantial portion of the top of said vehicle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to toy vehicles and more particularly pertains to a new toy vehicle assembly that couples a common spring powered musical movement with a novel pull back gear system to wind the musical movement spring and propel said vehicle while playing a tune. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    The use of toy vehicle assemblies that include mechanical musical movements or pull back motors is described in the prior art. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,159 Bass et al. Aug. 25, 1981 describes a toy musical train which incorporates an automatic reversing mechanism and a musical movement coupled to a motor. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,997 Elliot Handler, Oct. 20, 1959 describes a toy musical vehicle wherein the musical movement is actuated by a rotating member such as a wheel or axle. The method therein describes the actuation of the musical movement with a belt and friction wheel. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,451 Holtier, Apr., 30, 1991 describes a toy vehicle structure that incorporates a music movement assembly with selectable operating options, however it does not provide a pull back spring drive mechanism. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,749,046 Jul. 6, 2010 describes a toy vehicle pull back energy storage gear mechanism providing different speeds. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,534 Dec. 30, 1980 describes a toy vehicle having a spring drive mechanism coupled through first and second unidirectional slip clutch members to the drive wheels thereof. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,986 Aug. 4, 1987 describes a spring drive mechanism for propelling toy vehicles that utilizes an engaging lever. 
         [0009]    Numerous spring drive toy vehicle patents exist that fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements. However they do not combine a musical movement that contains a spring with a pull back gear system that winds the spring through a first gear ratio while pushing the vehicle in the reverse direction, and for propelling the vehicle through a second gear ratio on release of the vehicle. 
         [0010]    The existing art is also complicated to assemble because of the use of multiple axles that require support frames at both ends. Furthermore they utilize levers or the displacement of axle positions to engage and disengage various gears leading to excessive gear wear. Other toy vehicles that included a musical movement but were not connected to the wheels included a key to wind the spring. 
         [0011]    The need remains for a pull back spring powered toy vehicle that addresses the limitations of the prior art. The present invention further produces a musical tune without the use of batteries and electronics by the use of simple mechanical means. Further there remains a need for a design that couples a widely available reliable musical movement mechanism with a pull back gear system that is simple to manufacture with a reduced part count that captivates the attention of a young child while providing educational benefits of music and mechanics. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention meets the needs presented above by meshing an existing mass produced mechanical music movement to a unique pull back gear assembly in a toy vehicle. 
         [0013]    Further the pull back gear assembly is coupled to at least one wheel so when the musical movement is playing a musical tune the toy vehicle will move forward. 
         [0014]    Further the pull back motor gear assembly will wind a spring in the musical movement when the toy vehicle is pulled backwards. 
         [0015]    Further the gear assembly that winds the spring through a first gear ratio while pushing the vehicle in the reverse direction, propels the vehicle through a second gear ratio on release of the vehicle. 
         [0016]    Further the use of transparent plastic in the body of the toy vehicle makes the musical movement visible at all times providing the young child user an opportunity to observe and learn simple mechanical principles of motion and simple gears and an understanding of an old method of storing and playing musical tunes. 
         [0017]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a new toy vehicle assembly presenting a novel eye-catching conversation piece. This is further enhanced by including a detailed figure in each vehicle that is specific to the included tune. Further the top surface of each toy vehicle is substantially flat horizontally from left to right to provide a surface for printed graphics, preferably lenticular images to be glued to. 
         [0018]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new musical toy vehicle that does not require batteries or electronics. 
         [0019]    To this end, the present invention generally comprises a spring powered musical movement coupled to a unique pull back gear assembly that is coupled to at least one wheel and enclosed in a unique toy vehicle body assembly. 
         [0020]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims. 
         [0021]    The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a new toy vehicle assembly according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the toy vehicle assembly. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the toy vehicle assembly that includes the musical movement. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the toy vehicle assembly excluding the musical movement assembly. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the two ratchet gears used in the assembly. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a cross section of the left ratchet gear housing and bevel gear assembly. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0029]    With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIG. 2  thereof, a new toy vehicle assembly embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numerals will be described. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a new toy vehicle of the present invention. The car body shell  300  is attached by screws to a car base  200 . The car body of the present invention is preferably injection molded lightly colored transparent plastic but other materials can be utilized. A semicircular arc channel  330  provides a top bearing surface for the front and rear axles. A recess  320  indents the top surface of said vehicle for the attachment of artwork, not shown. In the present embodiment of this invention said artwork is preferably a lenticular image. Further a separately molded plastic steering wheel  340  is inserted through the artwork and into a hole in the top surface of said vehicle and retained by outward spring action of legs on said steering wheel  340 . The top surface of the body shell  300  includes a circular cavity  310  for the insertion of a toy figure that is best associated with the melody of the music movement included. An example could be a dog figure that is combined with the tune, “How Much is That Doggie in the Window”. This cavity could also hold a magnet to which the figure which contains a small ferrous plug could be attached thus eliminating the requirement for a hole to be die cut in the artwork. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the toy vehicle assembly. All the gears in this embodiment of the invention are injection molded plastic. Spur gear  40  is fixed concentrically to shaft  20  of the music movement assembly  10  and the bottom surface of said gear  40  is coincidental with the end of shaft  20 . The music movement assembly  10  of the present invention is part number 3YB2 manufactured by Yunsheng Co., Ltd. Musical Product Division, Ningbo City, China and best described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,173. 
         [0032]    Spur gear  50  and bevel gear  60  are molded as a single part and mesh with spur gear  40 . This part is mounted in a rotational position co-axially on shaft  230  which is molded perpendicular with the car bottom surface indent  215  of car bottom  200 . The surface  215  is recessed approximately 1.5 mm. Additionally there is a raised surface  235  of approximately 0.25 mm around the base of shaft  230  upon which the bottom surface of spur gear  50  slides thus separating the majority of the surface area of the bottom of spur gear  50  from the surface below it. No retainer fastener is required to retain this gear part in place. 
         [0033]    Spur gear  70  and bevel gear  80  are molded as a single part. It is mounted in a rotational position co-axially on shaft  220  which is molded perpendicular with the car bottom recessed surface  215 . Additionally there is a raised surface of approximately 0.25 mm around the base of shaft  220  upon which the bottom surface of spur gear  70  slides thus separating the majority of the surface area of the bottom of spur gear  70  from the surface below it. No retainer fastener is required to retain this gear part in place. The centers of shaft  220  and shaft  230  are placed vertically below the center line of rear wheel axle  140 . Spur gear  70  meshes with spur gear  50 . In the present embodiment of this toy vehicle spur gear  40  has 30 teeth, spur gear  50  has 25 teeth and spur gear  70  has 11 teeth. 
         [0034]    Rear wheel axle  140  is supported in a semicircular arc channel on lands  210  that are molded extensions of car base  200 , the outer surfaces of which are coincident with the outer side surfaces of toy vehicle shell  300  in  FIG. 1 . On steel wheel axle  140  there are machined opposing parallel flats  150  and  155  for the matching flats of ratchet gears  100  and  180  to bond with. Ratchet gears  100  and  180  are identical, see  FIG. 5 . Enclosing ratchet gears  100  and  180  are two gear assemblies  120  and  170  respectively which are free to rotate axially on axle  140 . Gear assembly  120 , see  FIG. 6  for a cross section, is molded as a single component consisting of an internal ratchet gear housing  110  and co-axially molded to the side of it a bevel gear  130 . In the present embodiment of the invention, bevel gear  130  meshes with bevel gear  60  with a one to one ratio, however this can be adjusted to accommodate different springs in music movement  10 . Gear assembly  170  is molded as a single component consisting of an internal ratchet gear housing similar to  110  and co-axially molded to the side of it is a bevel gear  160 . In the present embodiment of the invention bevel gear  160  has 14 teeth and it meshes with bevel gear  80  which has 32 teeth. Washers  90  and  190  are included only to prevent any lateral movement of the wheel axle  140  if excessive wear in the assembly occurs. Attached to either end of the axle are wheels  320 . The wheels consist of two parts, the inner hub  330  and the tire  340 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the car base showing the gear assembly of the present invention. Music movement  10  is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,173. It consists of a frame on which is mounted various components. The housing  30  contains a spring wound around shaft  20 . Connected to shaft  20  is a ratchet gear and an air regulator consisting of 2 paddles that spin on a worm gear shaft that utilize the friction of air to regulate their speed. Connected to this ratchet gear, not shown, via a bevel gear is a cylindrical body  35  with a plurality of projections, not shown, that encodes the musical tune. This drum is geared to rotate axially past a comb  25  that consists of a plurality of parallel vibrator strips having different frequencies of vibration. When a projection on the surface of the drum strikes a vibrator strip it momentarily flexes the vibrator strip before slipping off it. This vibrator strip then vibrates producing a musical tone. The air speed regulator controls the speed of rotation of the unwinding spring and the drum and in the present invention via the gears described herein the forward speed of rotation of the rear wheels. In the present invention the frame of the musical movement  10  is fixed to the bottom of the car with 3 screws inserted from the underside of the car base  200  into threaded holes  15  in the base plate. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the car base without the musical movement. Three countersink holes  240  are molded into the car base  200  for receiving the three screws for mounting the musical movement  10 . Molded into the base plate  200  are 2 vertical alignment shafts  250  that are received by holes in the base plate of the musical movement  10 . At the bottom of the alignment shafts  250  and surrounding the mounting screw holes  240  are raised molded faces  245  on which the base plate of the musical movement sits. These molded faces  245  in the present invention are approximately 2 mm high and they raise the bottom of the musical movement away from the upper surface of the base plate  200  and recessed area  215  providing clearance space for gear  40 . Countersink hole  260  is one of four holes in each corner of car base  200  for receiving screws for attaching the base to the upper car body shell  300 . 
         [0037]    For descriptive purposes arrows are indicated on the gears in  FIG. 4  with the annotation F representing forward and the annotation W indicating winding up of the music movement spring which occurs when the vehicle is pulled in reverse. When the music movement  10  plays a tune gear  40  rotates clockwise propelling the toy vehicle forward. Gear  40  drives gear  50  counter clockwise which drives the gear  70  and gear  80  assembly clockwise. This in turn drives bevel gear assembly  170  forward which engages the ratchet gear fixed to the axle thus rotating axle  140  to propel the toy vehicle in a forward direction. In the present invention one rotation of gear  40  rotates the wheels approximately 6.2 complete revolutions. While the vehicle is moving forward, gear assembly  120  is engaged by bevel gear  60  and rotates forward (F) 1.2 times for each revolution of gear  40 . Since the axle rotates 6.2 times for each revolution of gear  40  the axle is turning faster than gear assembly  120  and thus the ratchet gear  100  fixed to the axle and housed by gear assembly  120 , slips. 
         [0038]    To wind up the spring in music movement  10  the car is pulled in reverse. When pulled backwards the axle is rotated by the wheels. Ratchet gear  100  engages the teeth in gear assembly  120 . Ratchet gear  100  thus drives bevel gear  60  via bevel gear  130 . Since the ratio of these bevel gears of the present invention is 1 to 1, one rotation of the wheels rotates the bevel gear  60  and spur gear  50  once. This in turn rotates spur gear  40  and winds the music movement  10  spring approximately 0.8 times. Since all the gears are always meshed, the rotation of gear  50  while winding the spring, also rotates gear component  70  and  80  which turns approximately 2.27 times faster. This in turn rotates gear assembly  170 . Using the gear numbers described in this detailed description it can be calculated that the bevel gear assembly  170  will rotate approximately 5.2 times faster than gear assembly  120  and axle  140  and in the same direction. Since gear assembly  170  is thus rotating considerably faster than the rotational speed of the axle  140 , it will slip on the ratchet gear  180 . 
         [0039]    When the toy vehicle is pulled forward then both ratchet gears will slip preventing damage to the gears and music movement. 
         [0040]    With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. It is also relatively apparent that variations in gear ratio and the attachment of mechanical links to one or more of the rotating parts herein to animate the vehicle toy figure is possible. 
         [0041]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.