Patent ID: 7749046

Claim:
A toy vehicle comprising: a drive unit; a plurality of wheels; a mechanical linkage comprising a moveable gear train having a plurality of interconnected gears, the mechanical linkage coupling the drive unit to one or more of the wheels to permit energy from the drive unit to drive the one or more driven wheels and propel the vehicle, and the gear train comprising a clutch mechanism and a low-speed gear and a high-speed gear, the low-speed gear being moveable into the mechanical linkage between the drive unit and the one or more driven wheels to select a low propulsion speed, and the high-speed gear being moveable into the mechanical linkage between the drive unit and the one or more drive wheels to select a high propulsion speed; and a user operable selector mechanism configured to permit a user of the toy to select, from a plurality of different speeds, a desired speed at which the vehicle is propelled when energy from the drive unit drives the one or more driven wheels, the selector mechanism operable to move the gear train to change the configuration of the linkage to effect the selection of a desired speed at which the vehicle will be propelled; wherein the user operable selector mechanism comprises a carrier in which the gear train locates, the carrier being moveable to effect the movement of the gear train and the selection of the desired propulsion speed, a control mechanism arranged to control the movement of the carrier for the selection of the particular propulsion speed, the control mechanism being retainable in a plurality of positions each of which is associated with a particular carrier position and hence a particular selected propulsion speed, and a resiliently biased shuttle, the shuttle being capable of being coupled to the carrier for movement; wherein the control mechanism includes a housing fixed in position with respect to the vehicle, the shuttle being moveable with respect to the housing, and means for retaining the shuttle in a plurality of positions each of which is associated with a particular carrier position and hence a particular selected propulsion speed, wherein the retaining means comprises a cam track formed in a face of the moveable shuttle.