US20070207699A1 - Toy vehicle with stabilized front wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy vehicle generally comprises a chassis, front and rear wheels supporting the chassis, and a flywheel configured to rotate within the front wheel to provide a gyroscopic effect. An engagement mechanism housed within and operatively coupled to the front wheel is configured to rotate the flywheel in a first direction when driven by the front wheel in the first direction. The engagement mechanism is also configured to allow the flywheel to continue to rotate in the first direction independently of the front wheel when the front wheel decelerates.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/085,341, filed Mar. 21, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/586,561 to Hoeting et al., filed Jul. 9, 2004, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates generally to a toy vehicle, and more particularly, to a toy vehicle with a stabilized front wheel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• Toy vehicles, and in particular toy motorcycles are generally known in the art. Toy motorcycles typically include a chassis supported along a longitudinal axis by front and rear wheels. Because a toy motorcycle must balance upon those two wheels, wind and other external forces can easily cause the toy motorcycle to fall over. For example, when a toy motorcycle is in motion, bumps in the terrain can cause the motorcycle to become off balance. Without the use of any stabilization system, toy motorcycles, and especially remotely controlled toy motorcycles, are difficult to operate and likely to fall over.
• Several approaches have been tried to enhance a toy motorcycle's stability. For example, the stability of the motorcycle can be enhanced by utilizing a four-bar linkage steering mechanism as described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,891 (“the '891 patent”), issued to Hoeting et. al. and entitled “Remote Control Toy with Improved Stability.” The four-bar linkage projects a castering axis ahead of the front wheel to help stabilize the toy motorcycle, especially over rough terrain.
• Gyroscopic flywheels can also enhance the stability of the toy wheels. For example, the '891 patent discloses a weighted flywheel assembly housed within and operatively associated with the rear wheel of the toy vehicle. A propulsion drive is operatively coupled to both the rear wheel and the flywheel assembly, and drivingly rotates both the rear wheel and the flywheel assembly. During operation, the flywheel assembly rotates substantially faster than the rear wheel thereby causing a gyroscopic effect that tends to prevent the toy vehicle from falling over.
• While the stabilization approaches discussed above improve the stability of toy motorcycles, Applicants believe that stabilization can be achieved via other approaches as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention provides a toy vehicle with a flywheel operatively associated with a front wheel. The toy vehicle comprises a chassis having a front end supported by the front wheel and a rear end supported by a rear wheel.
• In one embodiment, the flywheel is driven by a motor and rotates independently of the front wheel to generate a gyroscopic effect while the toy vehicle is moving. For example, the front wheel may be adapted to freely rotate about an axle that is fixedly attached to the front end of the chassis. The motor may be positioned in a motor mount that is fixedly connected to the axle such that the motor does not rotate about the axle. Accordingly, the front wheel rotates about the axle whenever the toy vehicle is in motion whereas the flywheel rotates about the axle whenever the motor is energized.
• In another embodiment, an engagement mechanism is housed within and operatively coupled to the front wheel so as to be driven thereby. The engagement mechanism is configured to rotate the flywheel such that a separate motor, such as the one used in the other embodiment, is not required. More specifically, the engagement mechanism rotates the flywheel in a first direction when driven by the front wheel in the first direction, but allows the flywheel to continue to rotate in the first direction independently of the front wheel after the front wheel decelerates in the first direction. The flywheel may even continue to rotate in the first direction when the front wheel stops rotating in the first direction.
• In one embodiment, the engagement mechanism includes a first component driven by the front wheel about a front axle of the toy vehicle and a second component coupled to the flywheel. The first component engages the second component when rotated in the first direction so that the flywheel also rotates in the first direction. When the front wheel and first component decelerate in the first direction, the second component ceases engaging the first component such that the flywheel continues to rotate in the first direction independently of the front wheel. The first and second components may also be configured to allow the front wheel to rotate in a second direction without the first component engaging the second component. To this end, the first and second components act as a one-way engagement mechanism.
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 a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention.
• FIG. 1 is a side view, partially cut away, of one embodiment of a toy motorcycle according to the invention;
• FIG. 2 is a side view similar toFIG. 1 showing internal components of the toy motorcycle;
• FIG. 3 is a top view of the toy motorcycle inFIG. 1 showing the operation of the steering servo;
• FIGS. 4A and 4B are exploded perspective views of the front wheel of the toy motorcycle shown inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view similar toFIG. 4A showing an alternate flywheel design;
• FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the front wheel of the toy motorcycle shown inFIG. 1;
• FIG. 7 is a cross-section view similar toFIG. 6 showing an alternate front fork design;
• FIG. 8 is a side view similar toFIG. 1 showing a toy motorcycle with an engagement mechanism and flywheel according to an alternative embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the front wheel of the toy motorcycle shown inFIG. 8;
• FIGS. 10A-10C are schematic views illustrating the operation of the engagement mechanism shown inFIG. 8;
• FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views illustrating the operation of an engagement mechanism according to another embodiment of the invention; and
• FIGS. 12A and 12 are schematic views illustrating the operation of an engagement mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, atoy vehicle10 is shown according to the present invention. As illustrated and described herein, thetoy vehicle10 is a toy motorcycle, and in particular, a remote-controlled toy motorcycle. Thetoy vehicle10 includes achassis12 that has front andrear ends14,16, afront fork18 operatively connected to thefront end14, and arear suspension20 operatively connected to therear end16. Thefront fork18 is supported by afront wheel24 that is adapted to steer thetoy vehicle10 in a desired direction. Therear suspension20 is supported by arear wheel26. Aflywheel assembly28 is operatively associated with thefront wheel24 to stabilize thetoy vehicle10 when the toy vehicle is moving. Theflywheel assembly28 will be explained in greater detail below.
• As shown inFIG. 1, thechassis12 includes a decorative shell or casing30 that covers the internal components of thetoy vehicle10 and defines the general shape of thechassis12. The components of an actual motorcycle may be depicted graphically on theshell30 to increase the aesthetic value and consumer appeal of thetoy motorcycle10. For example, anengine34,transmission assembly36,drive chain38, andbody frame40 are all depicted graphically onshell30 inFIG. 1, even though none of those features are functional. Thetoy vehicle10 may also include a simulated rider (not shown) sitting upon thechassis12 andgripping handlebars42 which are attached to thefront end14.
• To increase the operability of thetoy vehicle10,body extensions48, such as foot pads, may extend outwardly fromshell30. Thebody extensions48 are adapted to provide support for thechassis12 when thetoy vehicle10 is on its side such that therear wheel26 remains in contact with the ground. Accordingly, thetoy vehicle10 can, in most situations, right itself when it is lying on its side without intervention from the operator. That is, upon application of drive power to therear wheel26, thetoy vehicle10 begins to spin in an arcuate path until the vehicle becomes upright and is able to operate on both its front andrear wheels24,26. This self-righting characteristic is attractive to the operator of thetoy vehicle10 because the operator does not have to walk over to where thetoy vehicle10 is on its side. Normally, the application of power to therear wheel26 is all that is required to get thetoy vehicle10 back into operation.
• As shown inFIG. 2, thechassis12 supports numerous internal components, such as apropulsion drive54 and asteering drive56, that are enclosed or covered by theshell30. More specifically, thechassis12 supports apower supply58, arear drive motor60, and asteering servo62, which are all electrically coupled to acontrol board64 that is supported on thechassis12 as well. Thecontrol board64 may also be electrically coupled to areceiver66 located in thechassis12 for receiving radio signals from a remotely-located radio transmitter (not shown). The radio signals may be received by anexternal antenna67 that is positioned on thechassis12 and coupled to thereceiver66.
• Still referring toFIG. 2, agear drive assembly68 connects therear drive motor60 to therear wheel26. Therear drive motor60 transmits power through thegear drive assembly68, which in turn rotates therear wheel26 to propel thetoy vehicle10 forward. By enclosing thegear drive assembly68 and other components within the shell orcasing30, thetoy vehicle10 is protected against debris that may clog or damage thepropulsion drive54 andgear drive assembly68. In other embodiments, thegear drive assembly68 may be replaced with a drive belt system, a chain drive, or some other means that drivingly couples thepropulsion drive54 to therear wheel26.
• As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, thesteering drive56 is operatively connected to thefront fork18, which includes substantially parallel first andsecond members76,78 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) spaced about thefront wheel24. The first andsecond members76,78 are both connected to one ormore fork couplers80, which in turn are pivotally connected to thefront end14 of thechassis12 by apivot pin82. Thus, thefront fork18 pivots about anaxis84. Theaxis84 may also be referred to as acastering axis84 for reasons discussed in more detail below.
• Now referring more specifically toFIGS. 2 and 3, the operation of thesteering drive56 is shown in greater detail. The steering drive56 includes thesteering servo62 and asteering arm90, which is pivotally connected to thesteering servo62 atpivot point92. Alink94 is connected betweensteering arm90 andflange98, which is fixedly coupled to thesecond member78 of thefront fork18. In operation, the steeringservo62 generates steering outputs that move thesteering arm90, which in turn moves link94 either backwards or forwards depending on the desired direction for thetoy vehicle10. Consequently, when link94 moves, thefront fork18 pivots about casteringaxis84 such that thetoy vehicle10 will turn either left or right relative tolongitudinal axis102. Alternatively, thelink94 may be pivotally connected to thefork coupler80 or directly to a portion of thefront fork18.
• With reference toFIGS. 4A and 4B, thefront wheel24 comprises anouter tire112 that surrounds first and second wheel halves114,116. The wheel halves114,116 are supported on afront axle118 and may be held together byscrews119 that extend throughbores120 in thefirst wheel half114 and into threaded bores122 (FIG. 6) in thesecond wheel half116. Thebores120 and122 are positioned around the periphery of the respective first and second wheel halves114,116 such that the wheel halves114,116 may be assembled around theflywheel assembly28. In other words, theflywheel assembly28 may be encased between the wheel halves114,116 and housed within thefront wheel24.
• As shown in the figures, theflywheel assembly28 includes aweighted flywheel130, aflywheel plate132, and amotor134. Theweighted flywheel130 may be coupled to theflywheel plate132 byscrews136 that extend throughbores138 in theflywheel plate132 and anchor into corresponding threaded bores140 (FIG. 6) on theflywheel130. Theflywheel plate132 is driven by themotor134, which is positioned within amotor mount144. Theflywheel plate132 andflywheel130 are adapted to rotate within thefront wheel24 to create a gyroscopic effect. More specifically, theflywheel plate132 is adapted to rotate about thefront axle118, which is fixably attached to the first andsecond members74,78 offront fork18. Unlike theflywheel plate132, themotor mount144 is operatively connected to the fixedfront axle118 such that it does not rotate about theaxle118. For example, ahexagonal portion145 of thefront axle118 may cooperate with ahexagonal bore146 inmotor mount144 to preventmotor mount144 from rotating about theaxle118.Wires148 electrically couple themotor134 to thepower supply58 oftoy vehicle10. As discussed below, thewires148 may be routed through hollow cavities in thefront axle118 andfront fork18.
• In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B, themotor134 is drivingly coupled to theflywheel plate132 by abelt drive system150. Thebelt drive system150 includes apulley152 coupled to theflywheel plate132 and apulley154 connected to themotor134. Abelt156 connectspulley152 topulley154 such that when themotor134 is energized, theflywheel plate132 andweighted flywheel130 spin about thefront axle118. Although only one type ofbelt drive system150 is illustrated and described herein, any other similar means may be used in accordance with the present invention to drivingly couple theflywheel plate132 to themotor134. For example,FIG. 5 shows an alternate configuration of theflywheel assembly28. In this configuration, thepulley152 ofFIGS. 4A and 4B is replaced with agear162. Similarly, thepulley154 ofFIGS. 4A and 4B is replaced with agear164. Thegears162 and164 are sized such that they engage one another and thebelt156 inFIGS. 4A and 4B is eliminated. In other words, whenmotor134 is energized,gear164 drives gear162 to rotate theflywheel plate132 andweighted flywheel130.
• FIG. 6 shows the fully assembledfront wheel24 andflywheel assembly28. As shown in the figure, thewires148 may be advantageously routed throughhollow cavities168 and170 in thefront fork18 andfront axle118, respectively. Such an arrangement prevents thewires148 from interfering with the rotation of thefront wheel24 orflywheel130. Although only thesecond member78 offront fork18 is shown as having a hollow cavity, thefirst member76 may include a hollow cavity as well. In such an embodiment thehollow cavity170 in thefront axle118 would extend substantially across the entire length of theaxle118 to allow wires to be routed through both the first andsecond members76,78 before being coupled to themotor134. Alternatively, thewires148 could be routed on the outside of thefront fork18 and enter thehollow cavity170 through the end ofaxle118.
• As shown inFIG. 7, the first andsecond members76,78 offront fork18 may be adapted to conduct electricity. In other words, first andsecond members76,78 form part of the electrical circuit which provides current to themotor134. This arrangement eliminates the need to route wires through hollow cavities in thefront fork18. Instead, a first set of wires174 may be used to operatively connect thepower supply58 to a first end18aoffront fork18, and a second set ofwires176 may be used to operatively connect asecond end18boffront fork18 to themotor134. The first and second sets ofwires174,176 are each comprised of apositive wire180 and anegative wire182.
• Still referring toFIG. 7, the first andsecond members76,78 are comprised of respectiveupper shock bodies184,186 andlower shock shafts188,190. At the first end18aoffront fork18, the positive andnegative wires180,182 are electrically coupled tometal plates192 located in theshock bodies184 and186. Theplates192 transfer any current tosprings194, which in turn transfer current tolower shock shafts188 and190. Current may also be transferred through these components in the opposite direction. Accordingly, such an arrangement allows current to flow from thepower supply58 to themotor134 via thenegative wire182 andsecond member78, and back to thepower supply58 via thepositive wire180 andfirst member76. In order to couple the first set of wires174 to thepower supply58, both the positive andnegative wires180,182 at the first end18aoffront fork18 may be routed through thepivot pin82.
• To operate thetoy vehicle10 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the user places aswitch200 in an “on” position to send power from thepower supply58 to thecontrol board64. Thepower supply58 may be any suitable power source, such as rechargeable batteries. Upon receiving power, thecontrol board64 may then energize themotor134 via thewires148. Because thefront axle118 is fixedly connected to thefront fork18 and themotor mount144 is secured to thefront axle118, themotor134 does not rotate about thefront axle118 when activated. Instead, themotor134 drivespulley154, which in turn drivesbelt156 andpulley152 in order to rotate theflywheel plate132 about thefront axle118. As discussed below, the rotation of theflywheel130 with theflywheel plate132 increases the stability of thetoy vehicle10 by creating a gyroscopic effect when thetoy vehicle10 is in motion.
• The forward movement of thetoy vehicle10 is controlled by therear drive motor60, which may be any suitable lightweight motor but typically is a battery powered DC motor or a lightweight internal combustion engine. When therear drive motor60 is activated, therear wheel26 propels thetoy vehicle10 forward and thefront wheel24 freely rotates about thefront axle118. Because theflywheel assembly28 is not coupled to the wheel halves114,116 andtire112, theflywheel130 andfront wheel24 rotate independently of each other. The rotational speed of theflywheel130 is determined by type ofmotor134, along with the sizes of thebelt156 andpulleys152,154 (or gears162,164) being used. These components may be chosen in a manner that enables theflywheel130 to rotate substantially faster than thefront wheel24 during normal operation of thetoy vehicle10. This rotation of theflywheel130 creates a gyroscopic effect that helps make thetoy vehicle10 less likely to fall over because of wind or other external forces, including rough terrain. For example, when thetoy vehicle10 encounters a bump along its path of motion, the gyroscopic effect helps keep the vehicle upright and maintain its current path of travel.
• Additional stability is provided to thetoy vehicle10 by the casteringaxis84. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, thetoy vehicle10 travels on asurface210 and thecastering axis84 projects ahead of where thefront wheel24 contacts thesurface210. Such an arrangement provides a positive caster with atrail220, which represents the distance between where thecastering axis84 intersects thetravel surface210 and the contact point of thefront wheel24 with thetravel surface210. As thetoy vehicle10 travels forward, the casteringaxis84 effectively pulls thefront wheel24 along the toy vehicle's path of motion. Thus, this castering effect or force tends to realign thefront wheel24 with the toy vehicle's path of motion when thefront wheel24 deviates therefrom due to rough terrain or the like.
• Although thetoy vehicle10 could function without the assistance of an operator, it is contemplated that an operator will remotely control thetoy vehicle10 by means of a radio transmitter. For example, to initiate forward motion, the operator sends a propulsion signal which is received byreceiver66. The propulsion signal is then transmitted to thecontrol board64, which energizesrear drive motor60. Accordingly, the forward motion of thetoy vehicle10 may be controlled by the operator sending an appropriate propulsion signal to thetoy vehicle10. Similarly, steering signals may also be transmitted by the operator to control the operation of thesteering servo62. Thus, by using a two-channel transmitter the operator can remotely and independently control both the forward motion and direction of thetoy vehicle10.
• Themotor134 may be controlled with or without use of the remote radio transmitter. For example, thetoy vehicle10 may be adapted such that themotor134 is activated whenever theswitch200 is placed in the “on” position. In such an embodiment themotor134 operates independently of the two-channel transmitter and rotates theflywheel130 about thefront axle118, even when thetoy vehicle10 is not in motion. Alternatively, themotor134 may be operatively connected to thereceiver66 such that themotor134 becomes operative when thereceiver66 receives a propulsion signal. By only activating themotor134 when the toy vehicle is in motion, the toy vehicle helps prolong the operable life ofpower supply58 by utilizing less energy over a given period of time. In a further embodiment, thecontrol board64 may have a timing mechanism adapted to deactivate themotor134 after a predetermined time period of inactivity by thepropulsion drive54. Such an arrangement helps prolong the operable life ofpower supply58 as well.
• FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of atoy vehicle310 having aflywheel312 configured to rotate within afront wheel314 to generate a gyroscopic effect. The components of thetoy vehicle310 other than those housed within thefront wheel314 may be the same as those discussed above with reference toFIGS. 1-7. Accordingly, like reference numbers are used inFIG. 8 to refer to like elements from the embodiment shownFIGS. 1-7.
• Rather than including a separate motor for rotating theflywheel312, thetoy vehicle310 includes anengagement mechanism316 housed within thefront wheel314 for rotating theflywheel312. As shown inFIG. 9, theengagement mechanism316 generally includes afirst component318 operatively coupled to thefront wheel314 and asecond component320 coupled to theflywheel312. Thefront wheel314 includes awheel housing326, acap328 secured to thewheel housing326 byscrews330, anouter tire332 surrounding thewheel housing326, and afront axle334 fixedly connected to the front fork18 (FIG. 8) and rotatably supporting thewheel housing326 andcap328. It will be appreciated, however, that thefront wheel314 may alternatively comprise first and second wheel halves (not shown) surrounded by theouter tire332 so as to be constructed in a similar manner as the front wheel24 (FIG. 4A).
• As shown inFIG. 9, thefirst component318 is a generally circular member having a first semi-circular wing orarcuate portion338 offset from a second semi-circular wing orarcuate portion340. Thesecond component320 is a generally cylindrical boss secured to or integrally formed with theflywheel312 and defines asocket342 for receiving thefirst component318. First andsecond friction elements344,346, which may be spherical balls, are received within thesocket342 between anouter rim348 and thefirst component318. The first andsecond friction elements344,346 enable thefirst component318 to engage thesecond component320 to rotate theflywheel312, as will be described in greater detail below.
• Thefront wheel314 further includes agear assembly354 housed within arecess356 defined by thewheel cap328. Thegear assembly354 is retained in therecess356 by agear plate358 secured to thewheel cap328 byscrews360. Although a wide variety of configurations are possible, thegear assembly354 shown inFIG. 9 includes aplanetary gear362, acentral gear364, and first, second, and third satellite gears366,368,370. Theplanetary gear362 is fixedly attached to thefront axle334 by a set screw (not shown) or the like such that it remains stationary with thefront axle334 when thefront wheel314 rotates. The first, second, and third satellite gears366,368,370 are rotatably mounted on respective first, second, andthird axles372,374,376, which engage thegear plate358 via respective first, second, andthird througholes378,380,382. Thus, when the rear drive motor60 (FIG. 2) is activated so that thetoy vehicle310 moves forward and causes thefront wheel314 to rotate about thefront axle334, thegear plate358 causes the satellite gears366,368,370 to rotate as well. In turn, the satellite gears366,368,370 rotate thecentral gear364, which extends through acentral opening384 in thegear plate358 and engages thefirst component318 of theengagement mechanism316.
• As a result of this arrangement, thefirst component318 is operatively engaged to thefront wheel314 so as to be driven thereby. Advantageously, the size of theplanetary gear362,central gear364, and satellite gears366,368,370 are selected such that one revolution of thefront wheel314 causes several revolutions of thefirst component318. For example, thefirst component318 may rotate between about five to ten times for each rotation of thefront wheel314. Additionally, thegear plate358 confronts thesecond component320 of theengagement mechanism316 when thefront wheel314 is assembled to retain thefirst component318 and first andsecond friction elements344,346 within thesocket342.
• FIGS. 10A through 10C illustrate the operation of theengagement mechanism316 in further detail. When rotated in afirst direction388, thefirst component318 causes thefirst friction element344 to frictionally engage the firstarcuate portion338 andouter rim348 so as to become wedged therebetween. Thesecond friction element346 likewise frictionally engages the secondarcuate portion340 and theouter rim348 so as to become wedged therebetween. This positive engagement enables thefirst component318 to rotate thesecond component320 andflywheel312 in thefirst direction388. This positive engagement differs from other engagement mechanism where one member may slip along another member before full engagement occurs, such as in a traditional centrifugal clutch. As discussed above, thefirst component318 advantageously rotates at a faster rate than thefront wheel314 because of thegear assembly354. Consequently, theflywheel312 rotates at a faster rate as well to generate gyroscopic forces that stabilize thetoy vehicle310.
• When thefront wheel314 andfirst component318 decelerate in thefirst direction388, the first andsecond friction elements344,346 release from engagement with the respective first and secondarcuate portions338,340 and theouter rim348 of thesecond component320. This allows thesecond component320 andflywheel312 to continue rotating in thefirst direction388 independently of thefront wheel314. Indeed, as shown inFIG. 10B, thesecond component320 andflywheel312 may even continue to rotate in thefirst direction388 when thefront wheel314 is stopped. The configuration of thefirst component318 ensures that the first andsecond friction elements344,346 remain loosely positioned within thesocket342 so as to cause minimal interference with the continued rotation of thesecond component320. In particular, the continued rotation of thesecond component320 faster than thefirst component318 urges thefirst friction element344 toward aplanar surface390 and thesecond friction element346 toward aplanar surface392 anytime the first andsecond friction elements344,346 contact theouter rim348. Theplanar surfaces390,392 of thefirst component318 extend toward theouter rim348 in a direction substantially perpendicular to a tangent (not shown) of theouter rim348. Thus, the first andsecond friction elements344,346 do not become wedged between theplanar surfaces390,392 and theouter rim348.
• The same relationship holds true when thefirst component318 is rotated in asecond direction394, as shown inFIG. 10C. In this situation, theplanar surfaces390,392 come into contact with the respective first andsecond friction elements344,346, which simply roll within thesocket342 so as to not impede the rotation of thefirst component318. This occurs whether theflywheel312 is rotating in thefirst direction388 or not. To this end, theengagement mechanism316 acts as a one-way engagement mechanism.
• The first andsecond friction elements344,346 shown inFIGS. 8-10C are spherical balls. It will be appreciated, however, that many other shapes and configurations are possible. For example, the first andsecond friction elements344,346 may alternatively be cylindrical discs (not shown) retained in thesocket342 by thegear plate358. Additionally, although first and second friction elements are shown in the figures, it will be appreciated that only a single friction element is required to cause engagement between the first andsecond components318,320. Alternatively, the first andsecond components318,320 may be configured to cooperate with more than two friction elements.
• FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate anengagement mechanism410 according to an alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, the first component is aratchet wheel412 having a plurality ofprojections414 along its outer perimeter and the second component is aratchet tab416 pivotally connected to theflywheel412. Theratchet tab416 positively engages one of theprojections414 when theratchet wheel412 is rotated in the first direction388 (FIG. 11A). There is no slippage between theratchet tab416 andprojections414 during the engagement process. To facilitate this engagement, theratchet tab416 may be normally biased against theratchet wheel412. As a result of this arrangement, theratchet wheel412 rotates theflywheel312 when driven in thefirst direction388 by thefront wheel314. When thefront wheel314 andratchet wheel412 decelerate in thefirst direction388, theflywheel312 is able to continue rotating in thefirst direction388 independently of theratchet wheel412 because theratchet tab416 is simply deflected by (rather than engaged by) theprojections414 as it passes over them. As shown inFIG. 11B, theflywheel312 may continue to rotate in thefirst direction388 even when thefront wheel314 is stopped. Theratchet wheel412 andratchet tab416 may or may not be positioned in asocket418 similar to thesocket342 inFIGS. 8-10C.
• FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate anengagement mechanism430 according to yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, the first component is apaw wheel432 having one ormore arms434 extending therefrom and the second component is acylindrical boss436 coupled to theflywheel312. Thecylindrical boss436 defines asocket438 for receiving thepaw wheel432 and includes a plurality ofnotches440 shaped to cooperate with thearms434 of thepaw wheel432. In particular, when thepaw wheel432 is rotated in the first direction388 (FIG. 12A), eacharm434 positively engages anengagement surface442 on one of thenotches440 so that thecylindrical boss436 andflywheel312 are rotated in thefirst direction388 as well. There is no slippage between theratchet tab416 andprojections414 during the engagement process. When thepaw wheel432 decelerates in the first direction388 (FIG. 12B), thenotches440 release from engagement with thearms434 to allow thecylindrical boss436 andflywheel312 to continue to rotate in thefirst direction388 independently of thefront wheel314 andpaw wheel432. Thenotches440 may include guide surfaces444 that contact thearms434 during this relative rotation, but the guide surfaces444 simply cause thearms434 to flex inwardly so as to cause minimal interference with the relative rotation. To this end, thearms434 may be resilient.
• The design of the embodiments ofFIGS. 8-12B assists the toy vehicle right itself, i.e, standup, from a tipped over position without user intervention, especially in the situation when the flywheel is stopped or slowly spinning. As the toy vehicle attempts to move forward from a dead stop, the front wheel and the stopped or nearly stopped flywheel resists being rotated. As the flywheel resists rotating, the front wheel is able to overcome the caster affect and turn sharper than it normally would. Consequently, the bike will turn in a tighter radius and create enough centrifugal force in the toy vehicle to cause the toy vehicle to lift off its side and onto two wheels quicker than without the resistance of the flywheel.
• While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of one or more embodiments thereof, and while the 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. 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 method 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.

Claims (18)

1. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a chassis having front and rear ends;

front and rear wheels operatively connected to and supporting the respective front and rear ends, the front wheel being moveable to steer the toy vehicle;

a flywheel configured to rotate within the front wheel; and

an engagement mechanism including a first component housed within and operatively coupled to the front wheel so as to be driven thereby and a second component coupled to the flywheel so as to rotate therewith, the first component being configured to engage the second component when driven by the front wheel in a first direction so that the flywheel is rotated in the first direction as well, the second component being configured to cease engaging the first component when the front wheel decelerates in the first direction such that the flywheel continues to rotate in the first direction independently of the front wheel.

2. The toy vehicle ofclaim 1, the front wheel having a front axis, the first component including a first arcuate portion rotatable about the front axis and the second component defining a socket in which the first arcuate portion rotates, the engagement mechanism further comprising:

a first friction element configured to frictionally engage the first arcuate portion and an outer rim of the socket when the first component is rotated in the first direction, the first friction element further configured to cease engaging the first arcuate portion and the outer rim when the front wheel decelerates in the first direction.

3. The toy vehicle ofclaim 2, the first friction element being a spherical ball positioned within the socket.

4. The toy vehicle ofclaim 2, the first friction element being a cylindrical disc positioned within the socket.

5. The toy vehicle ofclaim 2, the first component including a second arcuate portion, the engagement mechanism further comprising:

a second friction element configured to frictionally engage the second arcuate portion and the outer rim of the socket when the first component is rotated in the first direction, the second friction element further configured to cease engaging the first arcuate portion and the outer rim when the front wheel decelerates in the first direction.

6. The toy vehicle ofclaim 1, the first component being a paw wheel having an arm extending therefrom, and the second component defining a socket in which the paw wheel rotates, the socket having a plurality of notches configured to engage the arm when the paw wheel is rotated in the first direction.

7. The toy vehicle ofclaim 6, the arm being a resilient arm, wherein the paw wheel includes a plurality of the resilient arms.

8. The toy vehicle ofclaim 1, the first component being a ratchet wheel having a plurality of projections and the second component being a ratchet tab pivotally connected to the flywheel, the ratchet tab configured to engage one of the plurality of projections when the ratchet wheel is rotated in the first direction and configured to be deflected by the plurality of projections when the ratchet wheel is rotated in a second direction.

9. The toy vehicle ofclaim 8, the ratchet tab being biased against the ratchet wheel.

10. The toy vehicle ofclaim 1, wherein the first component of the engagement mechanism is operatively coupled to the front wheel by a gear train, the gear train being configured to rotate the first component at a faster rate than the front wheel thereby causing the flywheel to rotate faster than the front wheel.

11. The toy vehicle ofclaim 1, the first and second components of the engagement mechanism being configured to allow the front wheel to rotate in a second direction independently of the flywheel.

12. The toy vehicle ofclaim 1, further comprising:

a front fork operatively connecting the front wheel to the front end of the chassis, the front fork having substantially parallel first and second members operatively connected to each other; and

a steering drive supported by the chassis and operatively connected to the front fork, the steering drive being adapted to generate steering outputs to steer the toy vehicle.

13. The toy vehicle ofclaim 13, further comprising:

a fork coupler pivotally connected to the front end of the chassis, the front fork being connected to the fork coupler so as to pivot about a castering axis;

wherein the toy vehicle travels on a surface and the castering axis projects ahead of where the front wheel contacts the surface.

14. The toy vehicle ofclaim 1, further comprising:

a propulsion drive operatively associated with the chassis and drivingly coupled to the rear wheel.

15. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a chassis having front and rear ends;

front and rear wheels operatively connected to and supporting the respective front and rear ends, the front wheel being moveable to steer the toy vehicle;

a flywheel configured to rotate within the front wheel; and

an engagement mechanism housed within and operatively coupled to the front wheel so as to be driven thereby, the engagement mechanism being configured to rotate the flywheel in a first direction when driven by the front wheel in the first direction;

wherein the engagement mechanism is further configured to allow the flywheel to independently rotate in the first direction when the front wheel decelerates in the first direction.

16. The toy vehicle ofclaim 16, the engagement mechanism being operatively coupled to the front wheel by a gear train, the gear train being configured to allow the engagement mechanism to rotate the flywheel at a faster rate than the front wheel.

17. The toy vehicle ofclaim 16, the engagement mechanism being configured to allow the front wheel to rotate in a second direction independently of the flywheel.

18. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a chassis having first and second ends;

first and second wheels operatively connected to and supporting the respective first and second ends;

a flywheel configured to rotate within the first wheel; and an engagement mechanism including a first component housed within and operatively coupled to the first wheel so as to be driven thereby and a second component coupled to the flywheel so as to rotate therewith, the first component being configured to engage the second component when rotated in a first direction by the first wheel so that the flywheel is rotated in the first direction as well, the second component being configured to cease engaging the first component when the first wheel decelerates in the first direction such that the flywheel continues to rotate in the first direction independently of the first wheel.

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