Patent ID: 7445539

Claim:
A toy vehicle comprising: a vehicle housing having a wheel opening in the housing for placement of a detachably attachable wheel and a vehicle strip opening for placement of a strip; a gear system attached with the housing, the gear system having gear teeth for engaging at least a part of the gear system with the strip; a rotating end connected with the gear system and being accessible via the wheel opening for placement of a detachably attachable wheel, the rotating end being configured to be detachably attached with the detachably attachable wheel, whereby when a detachably attachable wheel is placed within the wheel opening and affixed with the rotating end, and when the strip is inserted into the vehicle strip opening and engaged with the gear teeth, a user may pull the strip from the housing and thereby cause the gear system to rotate the rotating end and the detachably attachable wheel so that the detachably attachable wheel spins and forces the vehicle to speed away from the user; a detachably attachable wheel for placement within the wheel opening, the wheel having a central rotor for engaging with the rotating end, wherein each detachably attachable wheel further comprises a receiving element, the receiving element including a notch and driving edge formed therein; a strip having teeth, the strip being adapted to be inserted into the strip opening and engage with the gear teeth; a launcher for connecting with and launching the toy vehicle; a quick release apparatus for attaching with and locking the detachably attachable wheel to the toy vehicle, wherein the quick release apparatus comprises: a slide switch attached with the vehicle housing; a drum having tabs attached with the vehicle housing; a withdrawing member attached with the vehicle housing and operably connected with the slide switch, the withdrawing member having a catch for engaging with a driving edge of the receiving element, whereby a detachably attachable wheel may be attached with the quick release apparatus by sliding the receiving element into the drum such that the tab slides within the notch, the catch thereafter engaged with the driving edge, and when detaching the detachably attachable wheel, the slide switch is used to withdraw the withdrawing member such that the catch is withdrawn from the driving edge, thereby allowing the tab to be slid out of the notch which results in the removal of the detachably attachable wheel.