Railway toy, track for toy, and railway vehicle for toy

Abstract

To provide a railway toy, a track of the toy, and a railway vehicle of the toy capable of achieving stable traveling without impairing appearance.SOLUTION: The track 110 includes an imitation track bed 1, imitation sleepers 2 provided on the front 1x of the track bed 1 and disposed at an interval in the D1 in the track length direction, and a pair of imitation rails 3 for sandwiching the sleepers 2 between the track bed 1 and the rails. The power car 121 of the railcar 120 includes a carbody 21, a plurality of wheels 23 that roll on the rail 3, a propulsion rotator 24 that engages with an engaged surface D1, which is an end surface of the crosstie 2 facing the 2x in the track length direction, and rotates with respect to the carbody 21 about an axis extending in the car widthwise direction, and a drive unit 25 that rotates the propulsion rotator 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to toy railroads, toy tracks, and toy railcars. [Background technology]

[0002] Toy trains, in which model vehicles run on model tracks, are known. These toy trains come in a variety of forms, including scaled-down versions that faithfully replicate the appearance of real trains, and deformed versions.

[0003] Incidentally, in order to enable this type of railway toy to travel smoothly on curved or inclined sections, for example, a rack-and-pinion system may be adopted, in which the pinion of the vehicle meshes with a rack on the track, as described in Patent Document 1.

[0004] In the toy train described in Patent Document 1, a rack is provided on the surface of the track facing the width direction of the track, and a gear is provided on the vehicle so as to rotate around an axis extending in the height direction, and the vehicle runs on the track while meshing with the rack on the track from the width direction of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 7-61382 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in actual railway tracks, it is not common for racks to be provided on the surface facing the width direction of the track, as in Patent Document 1. Therefore, adding such a structure to a toy train not only makes the structure more complex, but also results in an appearance that is significantly different from that of a real railway. In fact, toy trains are increasingly becoming a hobby not only for children but also for adults, and toy trains that faithfully reproduce the appearance of the real thing are particularly popular. Given this situation, if the appearance of a toy train differs significantly from the real thing, it may be difficult to improve user satisfaction.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a toy railway, a toy track, and a toy railway vehicle that are capable of stable running without impairing the appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A railway toy according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a toy track placed on a mounting surface, and a toy railway vehicle running on the track, the track having a replica trackbed, replica sleepers or slabs provided on the surface of the trackbed and spaced apart in the direction of extension of the track (hereinafter referred to as the track length direction), and a pair of replica rails sandwiching the sleepers or slabs between the replica trackbed and the replica rails, the railway vehicle having a power car, the power car having a car body and a power rail supported by the car body and supporting the car body. the rails being supported by the car body and engaging with the end faces of each of the sleepers facing the track length direction or the inner faces of slab recesses recessed from the top surfaces of each of the slabs facing the track length direction, and the propulsion rotors rotate relative to the car body about an axis extending in the car width direction; and a drive unit provided on the car body and rotating the propulsion rotors.

[0009] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the propulsion rotor has a rotor main body having a disk shape centered on the axis, and rotor protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the rotor main body at equal intervals circumferentially of the rotor main body and face the engaged surface, and the number of rotor protrusions may be 5 or more and 9 or less.

[0010] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the propulsion rotor has a rotor main body that is disc-shaped and centered on the axis, and rotor protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the rotor main body at equal intervals circumferentially of the rotor main body and face the engaged surface, and the circumferential center line of the rotor protrusions of the rotor main body is located on a normal to the rotor main body when viewed from the direction of the axis of the rotor main body, and the rotor protrusions form an engaging surface facing the circumferential direction and facing the engaged surface, and in a projection view when the rotor protrusions are projected onto an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis, the front end of the propulsion rotor in the rotational direction that constitutes the engaging surface may be a straight line parallel to the center line.

[0011] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the propulsion rotor has a rotor main body having a disk shape centered on the axis, and rotor protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the rotor main body at equal intervals circumferentially of the rotor main body and face the engaged surface, and the radial length dimension of the rotor protrusions of the rotor main body may be greater than 2 / 7 and less than 1 time the diameter of the rotor main body.

[0012] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the propulsion rotor has a rotor main body that is disc-shaped and centered on the axis, and rotor protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the rotor main body at equal intervals circumferentially of the rotor main body and face the engaged surface, and a portion of the rotor protrusions may be positioned so as to overlap the wheels when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0013] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the powered car may have wheel sets, each consisting of a pair of wheels spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, at two locations spaced apart in the length direction of the car body (hereinafter referred to as the car body length direction), and a portion of the protrusion on the propulsion rotor may be positioned so as to overlap with the wheel set on one side of the car body length direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and may be positioned between the wheels that make up the wheel set.

[0014] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the powered car of the railway vehicle further has a wheel set consisting of a pair of wheels arranged at a distance in the vehicle width direction, an axle extending in the vehicle width direction to connect the wheels that make up the pair of wheel sets, and an axle support portion provided on the vehicle body, which forms an axle insertion hole through which the axle is inserted and supports each of the wheels on the vehicle body via the axle, and the axle insertion hole extends in the vehicle width direction and has a larger inner diameter on both outer sides in the vehicle width direction compared to a central position in the vehicle width direction, and the outer diameter of the axle may be even smaller than the smallest inner diameter of the axle insertion hole.

[0015] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the powered car may have wheel sets, each consisting of a pair of wheels spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, at two locations spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the car body (hereinafter referred to as the car body length direction), and the pair of wheels in the wheel set on one side of the car body length direction may be arranged to sandwich the propulsion rotor in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of wheels and the propulsion rotor may be rotatable around the axis.

[0016] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the outer surface of the rotor main body in the propulsion rotor has a protrusion forming region that causes the rotor protrusion to protrude, and a pair of power transmission regions that are each aligned outside the protrusion forming region in the vehicle width direction, and the drive unit may have rotor drive bodies that are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction and each transmit power to the power transmission region on the corresponding side.

[0017] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the track has a gradient region in which the rails extend so as to curve in the height direction of the track (hereinafter referred to as the track height direction), and in the gradient region, the distance in the track height direction between the top surface of the sleeper or slab and the upper surface of the rail may vary in the track length direction.

[0018] In the above-described railway toy, an engagement hole may be formed on the back surface of the track bed, the engagement hole having a central hole region centered on a hole axis extending in a track height direction perpendicular to the track length direction, and four peripheral hole regions connected to the central hole region and arranged at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the central hole region, each having a smaller maximum outer diameter than the central hole region when viewed from the track height direction, the central hole region being engageable with a first convex portion provided on a track support on the installation surface, and the peripheral hole regions being engageable with four second convex portions provided on the track support and smaller than the first convex portion when viewed from the track height direction.

[0019] In the above-mentioned railway toy, a hole protrusion that protrudes radially inward from the inner surface of the engagement hole of the central hole region may be formed between the peripheral hole regions that are adjacent in the circumferential direction of the central hole region.

[0020] In the above-mentioned railway toy, the railway car may further have a trailer car coupled to a power car, and the trailer car may have a trailer car body, a plurality of trailer car wheels supported on the trailer car body and spaced apart in the width direction of the trailer car body, each of which rolls on the rail on the corresponding side, and a battery mounted on the trailer car body to supply electricity to power the drive unit of the power car.

[0021] In the above-described railway toy, the trailer car may further include a receiver that receives a wireless operation signal, and a control device that controls the drive unit based on the operation signal received by the receiver.

[0022] In the above-described railway toy, the powered car may further include a receiver that receives a wireless operation signal, and a control device that controls the drive unit based on the operation signal received by the receiver.

[0023] A toy railway track according to one aspect of the present invention is a toy track on which toy railway vehicles run, comprising: an imitation trackbed; imitation sleepers or slabs provided on the surface of the trackbed and spaced apart in the direction of extension of the track (hereinafter referred to as the track length direction); and a pair of imitation rails sandwiching the sleepers or slabs between the imitation rails and the trackbed; engaging holes formed on the underside of the trackbed, each of which has a central hole region centered on a hole axis extending in a track height direction perpendicular to the track length direction; and four peripheral hole regions connected to the central hole region and arranged at equal intervals circumferentially of the central hole region, each of which has a smaller outer diameter than the central hole region when viewed from the track height direction; the central hole region is engageable with a first protrusion provided on a track support on the track installation surface, and the peripheral hole regions are engageable with four second protrusions provided on the track support and smaller than the first protrusions when viewed from the track height direction.

[0024] A toy railway vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is a toy railway vehicle that runs on a toy track and includes a powered car. The powered car includes a car body, wheels that are supported on the car body and are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and roll on the track, a propulsion rotor that meshes with an engaged surface on the track and rotates relative to the car body about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction, and a drive unit that is provided on the car body and rotates the propulsion rotor. The propulsion rotor has a rotor main body that is disk-shaped and centered on the axis, and rotor protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the rotor main body at equal intervals circumferentially of the rotor main body and face the engaged surface, and the number of rotor protrusions is 5 to 9 in the circumferential direction.

[0025] A toy railway vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention is a toy railway vehicle that runs on a toy track and includes a powered car, the powered car including a car body, wheels that are supported on the car body and are spaced apart in the car width direction and roll on the track, a propulsion rotor that meshes with an engaged surface on the track and rotates relative to the car body about an axis that extends in the car width direction, and a drive unit that is provided on the car body and rotates the propulsion rotor, the propulsion rotor including a rotor main body that is disk-shaped and has the axis as its center, and a drive unit that drives the rotor. The rotor has protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the rotor body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotor body and face the engaged surface, and the center line of the rotor protrusions in the circumferential direction of the rotor body is located on a normal to the rotor body when viewed from the direction of the axis of the rotor body, and the rotor protrusions face the engaged surface in the circumferential direction, and in a projection view when the rotor protrusions are projected onto an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis, the forward end of the propulsion rotor in the rotational direction that constitutes the engagement surface forms a straight line parallel to the center line.

[0026] A toy railway vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention is a toy railway vehicle that runs on a toy track and includes a powered car. The powered car includes a car body, wheels that are supported on the car body and are spaced apart in the car width direction and roll on the track, a propulsion rotor that meshes with an engaged surface on the track and rotates relative to the car body about an axis extending in the car width direction, and a drive unit that is provided on the car body and rotates the propulsion rotor. The propulsion rotor has a disc-shaped rotor main body centered on the axis, and rotor protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the rotor main body at equal intervals circumferentially of the rotor main body and face the engaged surface, and the radial length dimension of the rotor protrusions of the rotor main body is between 2 / 7 and 1 times the diameter of the rotor main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the above-mentioned railway toy, stable running can be achieved without impairing the appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall side view of a railway toy according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] These are diagrams showing a straight area that is a part of the track of the above-mentioned railway toy, where (a) is a plan view seen from above, (b) is a front view and a back view seen from the track length direction, (c) is a right side view seen from the track width direction, (d) is a left side view seen from the track width direction, (e) is a bottom view seen from below, and (f) is an enlarged view of part II of (e). [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing parts of each region in the above-mentioned track, where (a) shows a straight region, (b) shows a curved region, (c) shows a concave gradient region, (d) shows a convex gradient region, and (e) shows a branch region. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing curved regions in the above-mentioned trajectory, in which (a) is a plan view seen from above, and (b) is a plan view seen from below. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a concave gradient region in the track, in which (a) is a plan view seen from above, and (b) is a plan view seen from below. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a convex gradient region in the track, in which (a) is a plan view seen from above, and (b) is a plan view seen from below. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a deformed concave gradient region in the track. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a power car of the toy train. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are exploded views showing only the lower part of the powered vehicle, where (a) is a side view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of (a), and (c) is a view showing the state in which the wheels are steered. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a view of the axles and wheels of the powered vehicle as viewed from the vehicle body length direction. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a side view showing how the propulsion rotor of the power vehicle engages with a sleeper. [Figure 12]1 is a diagram showing the propulsion rotor, in which (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a plan view seen from the vehicle width direction, (c) is a bottom view seen from the vehicle width direction, (d) is a left side view seen from the left side of the page in (a), (e) is a right side view seen from the right side of the page in (a), (f) is a plan view seen from above the page in (a), and (g) is a bottom view seen from below the page in (a). [Figure 13] Cross-sectional views of the rotor protrusions of the above-mentioned propulsion rotor, where (a) is an α-α cross-sectional view of Figure 11(b), (b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to (a) of the rotor protrusion of the first modified example, (c) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to (a) of the rotor protrusion of the second modified example, (d) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to (a) of the rotor protrusion of the third modified example, and (e) is a side view of the propulsion rotor including the rotor protrusion of the fourth modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drive unit of the powered vehicle as seen from above. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a trailer of the vehicle. [Figure 16] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a first modified example of the track, in which (a) is a plan view seen from above, and (b) is a β-β cross-sectional view of (a). [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a second modified example of the track, in which (a) is a plan view seen from above, and (b) is a γ-γ cross-sectional view of (a). [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are plan views of the third modified track as viewed from below, in which FIG. 10A shows the track parts before they are connected to each other, and FIG. 10B shows the track parts after they are connected to each other. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples of the propulsion rotor and the drive unit, in which FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the main parts as seen from diagonally above, and FIG. 10B is an exploded perspective view of the main parts as seen from diagonally above. [Figure 20] These are diagrams showing the above-mentioned propulsion rotor, in which (a) is a plan view (or bottom view) seen from the vehicle width direction, (b) is a left side view (or right side view) seen from the left side of the paper of (a) (or right side view) seen from the right side, and (c) is a back view (or front view) seen from above the paper of (a) (or front view) seen from below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. (Overall composition) As shown in FIG. 1, a toy train 100 includes a toy track 110 and a toy train car (hereinafter simply referred to as a car) 120 that runs on the track 110. In the following description, the extension direction of the track 110 is referred to as the track length direction D1, and the width direction of the track 110 is referred to as the track width direction D2. The track 110 is supported from below by a track support B provided on an installation surface M such as the top surface of a table, so that it can be placed on the installation surface M. In this embodiment, the track support B is, for example, a block with protrusions T installed at equal intervals.

[0030] (orbit) 2(a) to 2(e), the track 110 includes a dummy trackbed 1, dummy sleepers 2 provided on a surface 1x of the trackbed 1, and a pair of dummy rails 3 provided so as to sandwich the sleepers 2 between the dummy trackbed 1 and the dummy sleepers 2. The trackbed 1, sleepers 2, and rails 3 are integrally molded from, for example, resin.

[0031] The track bed 1 is modeled after ballast or a concrete roadbed. An engagement hole 10 is formed on the back surface 1y of the track bed 1 so as to recess to a midpoint of the track bed 1 in the height direction D3 of the track 110 (hereinafter referred to as the track height direction), which is perpendicular to the track length direction D1 and the track width direction D2 and perpendicular to the surface 1x of the track bed 1.

[0032] A plurality of engagement holes 10 are provided at intervals in the track length direction D1. As shown in Fig. 2(f), each engagement hole 10 has a central hole region 10a whose cross-sectional shape is centered on a hole axis O1 extending in the track height direction D3, and a plurality of peripheral hole regions 10b connected to the central hole region 10a.

[0033] The center hole region 10a has a cross-sectional shape that is, for example, a perfect circle, a regular polygon, or a combination of these, with part of the outer edge of the perfect circle being linear, and by inserting a convex portion (first convex portion) T (see FIG. 1) of the block serving as the track support B into the center hole region 10a, the center hole region 10a can engage with the convex portion T. This convex portion T has, for example, a cylindrical shape.

[0034] The peripheral hole regions 10b are arranged at four equally spaced locations around the periphery of the central hole region 10a. Each peripheral hole region 10b is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the central hole region 10a when viewed from the raceway height direction D3. In this embodiment, each peripheral hole region 10b has the shape of a portion of a regular rectangle and is connected to and integrated with the central hole region 10a. More specifically, when viewed from the raceway height direction D3, two peripheral hole regions 10b are provided to protrude from the center hole region 10a to one side in the raceway length direction D1 and toward both outer sides in the raceway width direction D2. Two peripheral hole regions 10b are provided to protrude from the center hole region 10a to the other side in the raceway length direction D1 and toward both outer sides in the raceway width direction D2. The spacing between the peripheral hole regions 10b in the raceway length direction D1 and the raceway width direction D2 is constant.

[0035] Four second protrusions (not shown) are provided on the block serving as the raceway support B. These protrusions are smaller than the protrusions T (see FIG. 1) when viewed from the raceway height direction D3. The peripheral hole regions 10b are fitted with the four second protrusions, respectively. The second protrusions have, for example, a cylindrical or rectangular prism shape. Between the peripheral hole regions 10b adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the central hole region 10a, hole protrusions 10c are formed, projecting radially inward toward the hole axis O1.

[0036] (Sleepers) As shown in Figure 2(a), the sleepers 2 are arranged at intervals in the track length direction D1. Each sleeper 2 is a rectangular plate and is arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail 3. The end face of each sleeper 2 facing the track length direction D1 is a plane perpendicular to the surface 1x of the ballast 1. Hereinafter, this end face will be referred to as the engaged surface 2x.

[0037] (rail) The pair of rails 3 extend in the track length direction D1 at a fixed interval in the track width direction D2.

[0038] (Railway parts) As shown in Figures 3(a) to 3(e), the track 110 is divided into a straight region 110a, a curved region 110b, a concave gradient region 110c, a convex gradient region 110d, and a branch region 110e at predetermined intervals. The straight region 110a is a region where the rail 3 extends linearly, as shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(e), while the curved region 110b is a region where the rail 3 extends curvedly in the track width direction D2. The concave gradient region 110c is a region where the rail 3 curves concavely downward in the track height direction D3, while the convex gradient region 110d is a region where the rail 3 curves convexly upward in the track height direction D3. For example, by locating the convex gradient region 110d ahead of the concave gradient region 110c in the traveling direction of the vehicle 120, the concave gradient region 110c starts the upward gradient, and the convex gradient region 110d ends the upward gradient. Furthermore, by arranging the concave gradient region 110c ahead of the convex gradient region 110d in the traveling direction of the vehicle 120, the convex gradient region 110d marks the start of the downward gradient, and the concave gradient region 110c marks the end of the downward gradient.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4(b), in the curved region 110b, the engagement holes 10 are not evenly spaced on the back surface 1y of the trackbed 1, but are provided two adjacent to each end in the extension direction and two adjacent to each other in the center in the extension direction. Of the two engagement holes 10 adjacent to each end in the extension direction, the hole axis O1 at the center of the end-side engagement hole 10A is located exactly in the center in the track width direction D2 (located on the track center curve CL), while the hole axis O1 at the center of the engagement hole 10B adjacent to the engagement hole 10A is located in a position shifted from the center in the track width direction D2 toward the outer rail. As a result, the centers of the engagement holes 10A and 10B are located on a single imaginary straight line SL that is different from the track center curve CL.

[0040] Returning to Figure 3(e), the branching area 110e includes, for example, a straight section 115 where the rail 3 extends linearly, and a curved section 116 where another rail 3 (branching rail 3x) branches off from the rail 3 at the straight section 115 and extends in a curved shape in the track width direction D2. The branching area 110e has a switch 117 between the straight section 115 and the curved section 116 that rotates the rail 3 on the inner side in the track width direction D2 and a part of the branching rail 3x on the inner side in the track width direction D2 around a rotation axis O2 extending in the track height direction D3. The shape of the branching area 110e is not particularly limited, and it may be a Y-shaped branch where a pair of curved sections 116 are connected so as to move away from each other.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5(b), in the depressed gradient region 110c, the engagement holes 10 are not provided at equal intervals on the back surface 1y of the track bed 1, but are provided two at each end in the extension direction.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6(b), in the convex gradient region 110d, similar to the concave gradient region 110c, the engagement holes 10 are not provided at equal intervals on the back surface 1y of the track bed 1, but two at each end in the extension direction.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, a modified depressed gradient region 110f, which is a modification of the depressed gradient region 110c, has the same structure as the depressed gradient region 110c, but in addition to this, the sleeper 2 has an inter-rail protrusion 2z disposed between the pair of rails 3 and positioned higher in the track height direction D3 than the lower end of the rail 3. The inter-rail protrusion 2z protrudes to a position lower than the top surface of the rail 3 in a portion of the sleeper 2 in the track width direction D2. The inter-rail protrusion 2z is positioned exactly in the center between the pair of rails 3 in the track width direction, and is formed over the entire area of ​​the sleeper 2 in the track length direction D1. As a result, the surface of the inter-rail protrusion 2z facing the track length direction D1 constitutes a part of the engaged surface 2x. At the position of the inter-rail protrusion 2z, the top surface of the sleeper 2 is positioned at the highest position, forming a top surface 2y, and the distance between this top surface 2y and the top surface of the rail 3 in the track height direction D3 varies in the track length direction D1. Specifically, the distance between the top surface 2y and the upper surface of the rail 3 is smallest at the center of the track length direction D1 in the deformed concave gradient region 110f, and the distance between the top surface 2y and the upper surface of the rail 3 is largest at both ends of the track length direction D1 in the deformed concave gradient region 110f.

[0044] The modified concave gradient region 110f does not have to be employed in the concave gradient region 110c, i.e., the inter-rail protrusion 2z does not have to be provided, and the distance between the entire upper surface (top surface) of the sleeper 2 and the upper surface of the rail 3 may simply vary in the concave gradient region 110c in the track length direction D1. Similarly, in the convex gradient region 110d, the distance between the entire upper surface (top surface) of the sleeper 2 and the upper surface of the rail 3 may also vary in the track length direction D1. In the convex gradient region 110d, for example, it is preferable that the distance between the upper surface of the sleeper 2 and the upper surface of the rail 3 is greatest at the center in the track length direction D1, and that the distance between the upper surface of the sleeper 2 and the upper surface of the rail 3 is smallest at both ends in the track length direction D1. Therefore, in the above-mentioned upward gradient formed by combining the concave gradient region 110c and the convex gradient region 110d, the distance between the upper surface of the sleeper 2 and the upper surface of the rail 3 is the standard distance (the same as the straight region 110a), and as the concave gradient region 110c is entered, the distance gradually decreases, returning to the standard distance at the end of the concave gradient region 110c, and then as the convex gradient region 110d is entered, the distance gradually increases, returning to the standard distance at the end of the convex gradient region 110d.

[0045] The user can then arrange these separate track parts, regions 110a-110e, in the track length direction D1 to configure the desired linear track 110. Although not shown, multiple types of parts with different length dimensions may be prepared for each of the regions 110a-110e, and multiple types of parts with different curvatures may be prepared for the curved region 110b.

[0046] (vehicle) Next, the vehicle 120 will be described in detail. Returning to FIG. 1 , the vehicle 120 has a power car 121 that generates propulsive force and a trailer car 122 coupled to the power car 121. The vehicle 120 of this embodiment may be a two-car formation consisting of, for example, one power car 121 and one trailer car 122, but the formation is not particularly limited, and may be a three-car formation (or a formation of three or more cars) by sandwiching one power car 121 between two trailer cars 122, or by sandwiching a trailer car 122 between two power cars 121. However, the vehicle 120 may be formed of only one power car 121 as long as the battery 30, receiver 33, control device 34, etc., described below, can be mounted on the power car 121.

[0047] (powered car) As shown in Figure 8, the powered vehicle 121 has a vehicle body 21, an axle 22 supported by the vehicle body 21, wheels 23 attached to the axle 22, a propulsion rotor 24 (see also Figure 1) rotatably supported by the vehicle body 21, and a drive unit 25 that rotates the propulsion rotor 24.

[0048] (Body) The carbody 21 is made of resin and has a box shape that extends in the carbody length direction, which is the track length direction D1 when the vehicle 120 runs on the track 110. A coupler 27 is provided at one end of the carbody length direction, and this coupler 27 connects the carbody 21 to a carbody 51 of a trailer car 122, which will be described later. For example, the carbody 21 has a car width dimension, which is the dimension in the track width direction D2, of 15 mm or less, and a car height dimension, which is the dimension in the track height direction D3 from the lower end of a wheel 23, which will be described later, to the upper end of the carbody 21, of 25 mm or less.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 9(a), axle support portions 21a are provided on the underside of the carbody 21 (the surface on the track 110 side) at the center of the width direction (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle width direction) of the carbody 21, which is the track width direction D2, so as to protrude downward. The axle support portions 21a are provided at intervals along the length of the carbody, respectively, at positions near both ends in the vehicle length direction. Each axle support portion 21a is formed with an axle insertion hole 21h that extends through the axle support portion 21a in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c), the inner diameter of this axle insertion hole 21h on both outer sides in the vehicle width direction is larger than the inner diameter at the center in the vehicle width direction. That is, the axle insertion hole 21h has a small-diameter region 21x with a constant inner diameter at the center in the vehicle width direction and large-diameter regions 21y that communicate with the small-diameter region 21x on both outer sides in the vehicle width direction. Each large diameter region 21y has a truncated cone shape that gradually widens in diameter from the small diameter region 21x outward in the vehicle width direction. Note that the configuration of the axle support portion 21a is not limited to the above-described case. For example, the small diameter region 21x may not exist, and the large diameter regions 21y may be connected to each other at a center position in the vehicle width direction.

[0050] (axle) The axles 22 are made of resin, extend in the vehicle width direction, and are supported by the vehicle body 21 by being inserted into the axle insertion holes 21h of each axle support portion 21a of the vehicle body 21. That is, one axle 22 is provided at each end in the vehicle body length direction. The outer diameter of the axle 22 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the small diameter region 21x of the axle insertion hole 21h of the vehicle body 21, i.e., the minimum inner diameter of the axle insertion hole 21h.

[0051] (wheel) As shown in FIG. 10 , the wheels 23 are made of resin and provided in multiple pairs. That is, the wheels 23 are provided in pairs on the carbody 21 with a gap in the carbody width direction, and each wheel rolls on the rail 3 on its corresponding side. Each pair of wheels 23 is provided near both ends of the axle 22, forming a wheelset together with the axle 22 and supported on the carbody 21 by the axle 22. Thus, a wheel set 23S, which is a set of a pair of wheels 23, is provided at two locations with a gap in the carbody length direction. Each wheel includes a tread 23a facing the rail 3 and a flange 23b provided on the inside of the tread 23a in the carbody width direction. The tread 23a is an inclined surface that gradually expands the diameter of the wheel 23 toward the inside of the carbody width direction, just like an actual railway vehicle. The flange 23b faces the rail 3 from the inside in the track width direction D2, just like an actual railway vehicle.

[0052] (rotating body for propulsion) As shown in Figure 11, the propulsion rotor 24 is made of resin, engages with the engaged surfaces 2x of the sleepers 2 in the track length direction, and is supported rotatably relative to the car body 21 about an axis O3 extending in the car width direction. For ease of explanation, the rail 3 on the front side of the paper is not shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figures 12(a) to 12(g), the propulsion rotor 24 has a disk-shaped rotor main body 24a centered on the axis O3, and a plurality of rotor protrusions 24b protruding radially outward from the rotor main body 24a.

[0053] The outer peripheral surface 24s of the rotor main body 24a has a curved surface region 24k and a gear region 24g arranged on one side of the curved surface region 24k in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 12(d)). A plurality of teeth are formed in the gear region 24g in the circumferential direction, and the rotor main body 24a forms a spur gear in the gear region 24g.

[0054] Each of the rotor projections 24b protrudes from the entire curved surface region 24k on the outer peripheral surface 24s of the rotor main body 24a in the direction of the axis O3, and is arranged at equal intervals from one another in the circumferential direction. The rotor projections 24b are arranged at approximately the center of the carbody 21 in the vehicle width direction, and face the engaging surfaces 2x of the sleepers 2 (see FIG. 11, etc.). In this embodiment, the number of rotor projections 24b is 5 to 9, and the installation pitch of the rotor projections 24b is set slightly larger than the pitch of the engaging surfaces 2x of the sleepers 2. Furthermore, the length dimension of the rotor projections 24b in the radial direction of the rotor main body 24a, i.e., the protruding height h1 from the rotor main body 24a, is 2 / 7 to 1 times the diameter d of the rotor main body 24a (see FIG. 12(b)).

[0055] As shown in Figure 13(a), in this embodiment, the rotor projection 24b has a plate-like or block-like shape with a substantially rectangular cross section. More specifically, the circumferential center line Lc of the rotor projection 24b of the rotor main body 24a is located on the normal line Lh of the rotor main body 24a when viewed from the direction of the axis O3 (the vehicle width direction). Each rotor projection 24b forms an engagement surface 24x facing the circumferential direction and facing the engagement surface 2x (see also Figure 12(b)). When this engagement surface 24x comes into contact with the engagement surface 2x, the propulsion rotor 24 and the engagement surface 2x are engaged with each other. The engagement surface 24x is a curved surface that curves convexly in the circumferential direction (rotational direction) of the propulsion rotor 24, and in a projection view when the rotor protrusion 24b is projected onto a virtual plane Pv perpendicular to the axis O3, the projection line Lt of the forwardmost end 24y in the rotational direction of the propulsion rotor 24 that constitutes the engagement surface 24x is a straight line parallel to the center line Lc.

[0056] The shape of the rotor projection 24b is not particularly limited, and may be a rectangular parallelepiped (cubic) shape with a rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 13(b), a pin-like (cylindrical) shape as shown in FIG. 13(c), or a block-like shape with a polygonal cross section (e.g., a hexagonal) as shown in FIG. 13(d). When the rotor projection 24b has a rectangular parallelepiped (cubic) shape with a rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 13(b) or a block-like shape with a polygonal cross section (e.g., a hexagonal) as shown in FIG. 13(d), the engagement surface 24x is flat. When the rotor projection 24b has a pin-like (cylindrical) shape as shown in FIG. 13(c), the engagement surface 24x is curved. When the vehicle 120 is traveling backward, i.e., in the reverse direction, the engagement surface 24x faces the opposite side in the circumferential direction from the illustrated surface. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 13(e), the rotor projection 24b may have an inverted trapezoid shape in which the circumferential width gradually increases radially outward, i.e., toward the tip end. In this case, the projection line Lt of the engaging surface 24x is inclined relative to the center line Lc so as to gradually move away in the circumferential direction as it moves toward the tip of the rotor projection 24b. In this case, the engaged surface 2x of the sleeper 2 should be an inclined surface that slopes backward in the running direction of the vehicle 120 as it moves from the upper surface of the sleeper 2 toward the surface 1x of the ballast 1 in the track height direction D3. In other words, the lower surface of the sleeper 2, which is connected to the ballast 1, should be smaller than the upper surface of the sleeper 2. In this case, the tip of the engaging surface 24x of the rotor projection 24b can be engaged with the engaged surface 2x of the sleeper 2 by hooking it like a claw.

[0057] The propulsion rotor 24 is supported by the vehicle body 21 at a position where the tip of the rotor projection 24b does not come into contact with the surface 1x of the track bed 1.

[0058] 9(b) and 9(c), the tip portion that is part of the rotating body projection 24b is positioned so as to overlap the wheel 23 when viewed from the vehicle width direction. More specifically, the tip portion of the rotating body projection 24b is positioned so as to overlap the pair of wheels 23 that make up the wheel set 23S. In this embodiment, the tip portion of the rotating body projection 24b is positioned so as to overlap the wheel set 23S on one side in the vehicle length direction, and is positioned between the wheels 23 that make up this wheel set 23S.

[0059] (Drive unit) Returning to Figure 8, the drive unit 25 is provided on the vehicle body 21 and has a motor 31 that is driven to rotate by power supplied from a battery 30 described later, and a transmission mechanism 32 that transmits the power of the motor 31 to the propulsion rotor 24.

[0060] The motor 31 is columnar (cylindrical) and is housed in the vehicle body 21 with its longitudinal direction aligned with the vehicle body length direction. In this embodiment, the motor 31 is provided in the vehicle body 21 at a position toward the rear of the vehicle 120 in the vehicle body length direction.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 14 , the transmission mechanism 32 includes a worm gear 40 provided on the motor 31, a worm wheel 41 that meshes with the worm gear 40, and multiple spur gears 42, 43, and 44 that transmit the rotational force of the worm wheel 41 to the propulsion rotor 24 via a gear region 24g in the propulsion rotor 24. The worm gear 40 rotates about an axis extending in the vehicle body length direction. The spur gears 42, 43, and 44 rotate about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction. The configuration of the transmission mechanism 32 is not particularly limited, as long as it can transmit the rotation of the motor 31 to the propulsion rotor 24 after appropriately reducing the speed. The spur gears 42 and 43 may be replaceable with gears with different numbers of teeth, allowing the reduction ratio to be adjusted.

[0062] (trailer) As shown in Figure 15, like the power car 121, the trailer 122 has a car body (trailer car body) 51, axles 22 supported by the car body 51, and wheels (trailer car wheels) 23 attached to the axles 22, but unlike the power car 121, it does not have a propulsion rotor 24 or a drive unit 25. The trailer 122 also has a battery 30 attached to the car body 51 to supply power to the motor 31 (see Figure 8) of the drive unit 25 of the power car 121.

[0063] The battery 30 is, for example, cylindrical and is disposed so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 51 (the vehicle body length direction). The battery 30 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery (for example, a lithium-ion battery), and is not particularly limited. The size of the battery 30 is also not particularly limited, but an AAAA standard battery (generally, AA size) is preferably used. If the battery 30 is a secondary battery, a charging port (for example, USB (registered trademark)) may be provided in the vehicle body 51. The battery 30 may be removable from the vehicle body 51 upward. Wiring (not shown) is electrically connected to the battery 30, and this wiring electrically connects the motor 31 of the powered vehicle 121 and the battery 30.

[0064] The trailer 122 further includes a receiver 33 and a control device 34. The receiver 33 receives a radio signal (operation signal) from a transmitter (not shown), and the control device 34, which is configured by a microprocessor, controls the drive of the motor 31 of the powered vehicle 121. The transmitter may be, for example, a smartphone with a dedicated application installed. In this case, the radio signal may be transmitted and received using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). The receiver 33 and the control device 34 are semiconductor chips, and may be integrated with the battery 30, for example. The vehicle 120 may be capable of traveling in either the forward or reverse direction by controlling the motor 31 to rotate in the reverse direction. When traveling in the reverse direction, the engaged surface 2x of the sleeper 2 becomes an end surface facing the opposite side of the track length direction D1 from the case described above.

[0065] (Action and effect) According to the railway toy 100 of this embodiment described above, the rotor protrusions 24b of the propulsion rotors 24 engage with the engagement surfaces 2x, which are the end faces of the sleepers 2 of the track 110, causing the vehicle 120 to run on the track 110. In other words, by running the vehicle 120 using the sleepers 2 that exist on an actual railway, there is no need to provide a separate structure such as a rack rail, and stable running can be achieved without compromising the appearance. In particular, although the vehicle 120 of this embodiment is small and therefore light in weight, the provision of the propulsion rotors 24 significantly improves running performance compared to a case in which propulsion force is obtained by rotating the wheels 23.

[0066] In particular, the number of rotor protrusions 24b of the propulsion rotor 24 is between 5 and 9, and the radial length dimension h1 of the rotor protrusions 24b is between 2 / 7 and 1 times the diameter d of the rotor main body 24a. This makes it possible to reliably engage the rotor protrusions 24b with the engagement surfaces 2x of the sleepers 2 while making the spacing between the sleepers 2 closer to the image of the spacing between the actual sleepers.

[0067] Furthermore, in a projection view of the rotor projection 24b onto a virtual plane Pv perpendicular to the axis O3, the projection line Lt of the forwardmost end 24y in the rotational direction of the propulsion rotor 24, which constitutes the engagement surface 24x, is a straight line parallel to the center line Lc. That is, the engagement surface 24x is a curved surface that curves convexly in the circumferential direction of the propulsion rotor 24 (see FIG. 13(a)) or a flat surface (see FIGS. 13(b) and 13(d)) of the propulsion rotor 24. Therefore, compared to a shape in which the circumferential width of the rotor projection 24b decreases toward the tip, the angle formed between the engagement surface 24x and the engaged surface 2x when the engagement surface 24x contacts the engaged surface 2x can be made smaller. Therefore, the vertical component (a component directed upward in the track height direction D3) of the reaction force from the engaged surface 2x to the engagement surface 24x generated when the engagement surface 24x contacts the engaged surface 2x can be made smaller, thereby reducing the possibility of the propulsion rotor 24 spinning freely relative to the sleeper 2. Furthermore, if the engagement surface 24x is a curved surface that is convexly curved in the circumferential direction of the propulsion rotor 24, the engagement surface 24x can be brought into smooth contact with the engaged surface 2x in the curved region 110b of the track 110, thereby suppressing wear of the propulsion rotor 24 due to uneven contact.

[0068] Furthermore, a portion of the rotor protrusions 24b of the propulsion rotor 24 is positioned to overlap with wheel set 23S, which is made up of a pair of wheels 23, when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and is disposed between the wheels 23 that make up wheel set 23S. This allows the space between the wheels 23 that make up wheel set 23S to be smaller than when the rotor main body 24a of the propulsion rotor 24 is also disposed between the wheels 23, and as a result, the width dimension of the car body 21 can be reduced, allowing the vehicle 120 to be made smaller, and the entire toy train 100 to be made smaller as well. This makes it easier to transport the toy train 100 and also enables space-saving installation.

[0069] Furthermore, a portion of the rotor protrusion 24b of the propulsion rotor 24 is positioned so as to overlap with the wheel set 23S on one side in the car body length direction. This allows the propulsion rotor 24 to be positioned close to the wheel set 23S on the front side in the running direction, preventing derailment of the wheels 23 on the front side in the running direction, particularly in the curved region 110b and the curved section 116 of the branching region 110e.

[0070] In addition, in the car body 21, the inner diameters of the axle insertion holes 21h, through which the axles 22 are inserted, at both ends in the vehicle width direction are larger than the inner diameter at the center position in the vehicle width direction, so that the axles 22 can rotate as shown in Fig. 9(c), enabling steering of the wheels 23 and absorption of vertical movement. This enables smooth running even in the curved region 110b and the branching region 110e, and makes it possible to absorb shocks at the joints of the track parts.

[0071] Furthermore, in the deformed concave gradient region 110f, the distance in the track height direction D3 between the top surface 2y of the sleeper 2 and the upper surface of the rail 3 varies in the track length direction D1, so that the propulsion rotor 24 and the engaging surface 2x of the sleeper 2 can be reliably engaged, particularly at the central position in the track length direction D1 of the deformed concave gradient region 110f, allowing the vehicle 120 to run reliably even on an uphill gradient.

[0072] Furthermore, the engagement holes 10 formed on the rear surface 1y of the track bed 1 of the track 110 have a central hole region 10a and multiple peripheral hole regions 10b connected to the central hole region 10a, so that they can engage with, for example, two types of blocks of different sizes and shapes as the track support B, thereby expanding the variety of ways to play with the toy train 100. Furthermore, because the engagement holes 10 are formed on the rear surface 1y of the track bed 1, the engagement holes 10 are not visible while the toy train 100 is in use. Therefore, the track 110 can be placed on the installation surface M without damaging the appearance, and by engaging the blocks as the track support B with the engagement holes 10, steps are not created between the parts when multiple track parts (regions 110a to 110e) are lined up, allowing the vehicle 120 to run smoothly. Furthermore, when the second convex portion is inserted into the peripheral hole region 10b, the hole convex portion 10c restricts the movement of the second convex portion in the track length direction D1 and the track width direction D2 within the peripheral hole region 10b, thereby enabling the track part to be securely fixed to the second convex portion of the track support body B.

[0073] Furthermore, since the vehicle 120 is configured by coupling the power car 121 with the trailer car 122, there is no need to install the battery 30 on the power car 121. Furthermore, there is no need to provide the trailer car 122 with the propulsion rotor 24 or the drive unit 25. As a result, the size of the power car 121 and the trailer car 122 can be reduced, and the overall size of the toy train 100 can also be reduced. This makes it easier to transport the toy train 100, and also saves space for installation.

[0074] Furthermore, by providing the receiver 33 and the control device 34, the vehicle 120 can be easily operated wirelessly from a smartphone or the like, thereby improving usability.

[0075] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the configurations and combinations thereof in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, but is limited only by the claims.

[0076] For example, as shown in Figures 16(a) and 16(b), the track 110A may be a slab track in which imitation slabs 62 are provided instead of the sleepers 2. The slabs 62 are plate-shaped and are sandwiched between a plate-shaped trackbed 61 and the rails 3. A plurality of slabs 62 are provided side by side in the track length direction D1. Each slab 62 has a slab recess 62a that is recessed downward from an upper surface 62y. The inner surface of the slab recess 62a facing the track length direction D1 serves as an engagement surface 62x that engages with the propulsion rotor 24. The slab recess 62a is formed in the slab track of an actual railway vehicle, for example, for the purpose of reducing weight.

[0077] For example, the structure of the slab track is not limited to that shown in Figure 16, and may be a track 110B as shown in Figures 17(a) and 17(b). That is, in track 110B, the width dimension of the slab recesses 62a in the track width direction D2 is smaller than that of track 110A, and one slab recess 62a is provided for each slab 62. That is, it is sufficient that the width dimension of the slab recesses 62a is at least larger than the width dimension of the propulsion rotor 24.

[0078] Furthermore, the engaging surface 2x (62x) with which the propulsion rotor 24 engages is not limited to the above-described one, but may be formed on another part of the track 110, for example, so as not to spoil the appearance of the track of an actual railway vehicle.

[0079] In addition, in the toy train 100, the control device 34 may calculate the number of sleepers 2 or slabs 62 that have passed from the rotation speed of the propulsion rotor 24, and calculate the distance traveled by the vehicle 120.

[0080] Furthermore, the intervals between the engaged surfaces 2x (62x) do not have to be constant. That is, the intervals at which the sleepers 2 are installed and the intervals at which the slab recesses 62a are installed do not have to be constant in the track length direction D1.

[0081] The vehicle 120 may also be configured by coupling a second trailer to the trailer 122, which does not include the battery 30, the receiver 33, and the control device 34.

[0082] In order to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle 120, weights may be attached to the power vehicle 121 and trailer 122 of the vehicle 120, and the wheels 23 and axles 22 may be made of a material such as metal that has a higher density than resin.

[0083] Furthermore, the leading and trailing cars of the powered car 121 and trailer car 122 may be equipped with LED lamps (not shown) as headlights and taillights. In this case, the headlights may be white lamps and the taillights may be red lamps, making it possible to visually confirm the direction of travel. The LED lamps may also be flashing or changing color to indicate the charging status of the battery 30 (charging, low charge), or may be flashing or changing color to indicate the Bluetooth (registered trademark) pairing status.

[0084] 18(a) and 18(b), half of the engagement hole 10 (half hole 10X) may be formed on the underside 1y of the trackbed 1 of each track part PA at the end of the track part PA in the track length direction D1. In this case, by butting the track parts PA together in the track length direction D1, an engagement hole 10 consisting of two half holes 10X is formed between the track parts PA. The track parts PA can be connected to each other in the track length direction D1 by inserting a connector 70 corresponding to the shape of the engagement hole 10 into the engagement hole 10 consisting of the two half holes 10X. The thickness of the connector 70 is smaller than the depth of the engagement hole 10, making it possible to install the track part PA directly on a flat support surface without using a track support B (see FIG. 1) such as a block. The connector 70 is formed with a central through-hole 70a penetrating the connector 70 in the thickness direction (the track height direction D3) at a position corresponding to the central hole region 10a of the engagement hole 10, and peripheral through-holes 70b penetrating the connector 70 in the thickness direction at a position corresponding to the peripheral hole region 10b of the engagement hole 10. The peripheral through-holes 70b are not necessarily provided. The central through-hole 70a is configured with a large-diameter hole region 70x on one side of the connector 70 in the thickness direction and a small-diameter hole region 70y on the other side in the thickness direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, the large-diameter hole regions 70x may be formed on both sides of the connector 70 in the thickness direction, with the small-diameter hole regions 70y formed between the large-diameter hole regions 70x. Alternatively, the small-diameter hole regions 70y may be formed on both sides of the connector 70 in the thickness direction, with the large-diameter hole regions 70x formed between the small-diameter hole regions 70y. Since the central through-hole 70a is thus configured by combining multiple holes of different diameters, the connector 70 can be easily attached to and detached from the track part PA.

[0085] 19(a) and 19(b), for example, a propulsion rotor 84 and wheels 83 may be integrated to form a single rotor 85. In such a rotor 85, a pair of wheels 83 in a wheel set 83S on one side in the vehicle body length direction (track length direction D1) are arranged to sandwich the propulsion rotor 84 in the vehicle width direction (track width direction D2), and the propulsion rotor 84 and wheels 83 are both formed around the same axis O4 and are rotatable integrally about this axis O4.

[0086] More specifically, as shown in Figures 20(a) to 20(c), the propulsion rotor 84 includes a rotor main body 84a and rotor protrusions 84b. The outer peripheral surface 84s of the rotor main body 84a has a protrusion-forming region 84t that causes the rotor protrusions 84b to protrude from the rotor main body 84a, and a pair of power transmission regions 84g adjacent to the protrusion-forming region 84t. Each of the pair of power transmission regions 84g is aligned on the outside of the protrusion-forming region 84t in the vehicle width direction (track width direction D2), and is provided so as to sandwich the protrusion-forming region 84t in the vehicle width direction. Each power transmission region 84g has a plurality of teeth formed therein, and therefore each power transmission region 84g constitutes a spur gear.

[0087] Returning to Figures 19(a) and 19(b), the teeth of these power transmission regions 84g mesh with the rotor drivers 82x of the transmission mechanism 82 in the drive unit 88 with a slight amount of "play." The rotor drivers 82x are spur gears, and a pair of them are arranged spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. Note that the rotor drivers 82x and the power transmission region 84g are not limited to spur gears and may be other types of gears, pulleys, etc. Each rotor driver 82x meshes with teeth in the power transmission region 84g on the corresponding side in the vehicle width direction. This pair of rotor drivers 82x are integrated and rotate together around an axis O5 extending in the vehicle width direction. In the example shown in Figures 19(a) and 19(b), this axis O5 is positioned offset in the vehicle length direction from the axis O4, but this arrangement is not particularly limited.

[0088] Here, an axle 90 is provided from each of a pair of wheels 83 that sandwich the propulsion rotor 84 so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction. Each axle 90 has a generally truncated cone shape that gradually decreases in diameter outward in the vehicle width direction (see also Figures 20(b) and 20(c)). The car body 21 is formed with an elongated hole 21z that extends in the car body length direction (track length direction D1) and into which the axle 90 is disposed, on the vehicle width outward of each wheel 23. The inner dimension of the elongated hole 21z in the car body height direction (track height direction D3) is slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the axle 90 and generally coincides with the maximum diameter of the axle 90. On the other hand, the inner dimension of the elongated hole 21z in the car body length direction (track length direction D1) is sufficiently larger than the maximum diameter of the axle 90. This allows the wheels 83 and the propulsion rotors 84 to move (swing) in the car body length direction without moving significantly relative to the car body 21 in the track height direction D3.

[0089] 20(a) to 20(c), the wheels 83 and the propulsion rotors 84 can be positioned closer to each other in the carbody length direction, preventing the wheels 83 from derailing, particularly in the curved region 110b and the curved section 116 of the branching region 110e. Furthermore, the axles 90 are supported in the elongated holes 21z of the carbody 21, making it possible to steer the wheels 83 and allowing the train to travel smoothly in the curved region 110b, etc.

[0090] Furthermore, if the wheels 83 and the propulsion rotor 84 wobble while the vehicle 120 is traveling, there is a risk that the meshing between the power transmission region 84g and the rotor driver 82x will be insufficient, making it impossible to transmit power to the propulsion rotor 84. However, in this regard, the propulsion rotor 84 is provided with a pair of power transmission regions 84g spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and each power transmission region 84g meshes with the rotor driver 82x arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, even if the wheels 83 and the propulsion rotor 84 wobble while traveling, one of the power transmission regions 84g will mesh with the rotor driver 82x, allowing the propulsion rotor 84 to be reliably driven.

[0091] Furthermore, when the wheels 83 are steered, the propulsion rotor 84 is also steered, and particularly during such steering, there is a high possibility that the propulsion rotor 84 will no longer mesh with the rotor driver 82x. However, even in such a case, at least one of the rotor drivers 82x can engage with the power transmission region 84g of the propulsion rotor 84, and even when the propulsion rotor 84 is steered together with the wheels 83, the propulsion rotor 84 can be reliably rotated and the vehicle 120 can be driven.

[0092] Note that the propulsion rotor 84 and the pair of wheels 83 only need to be steerably supported relative to the vehicle body 21 so that the axis O4 swings in the vehicle body length direction, and are not limited to a structure in which the axle 90 is supported by an elongated hole 21z as shown in Figure 19(b), and the propulsion rotor 84 and the pair of wheels 83 may be steered by being supported by, for example, an axle insertion hole 21h as shown in Figures 9(b) and 9(c). In this case, for example, by providing the axle 90 between one of the wheels 83 and the propulsion rotor 84, the axle 90 can be supported by the axle insertion hole 21h. [Industrial Applicability]

[0093] The toy railway, toy track, and toy railway car of the present invention can achieve stable running without impairing the appearance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1, 61…Dodoko 1x…Surface 1y…Back side 2...Sleepers 2x, 62x…Engaged surface 2z...Protrusion between rails 3...Rail 10...Engagement hole 10a...Center hole area 10b...peripheral hole area 21...Body 21a...Axle support part 21h...Axle insertion hole 22, 90...axles 23, 83...wheel 23S, 83S...wheel set 24, 84...rotating body for propulsion 24a, 84a...rotating body 24b, 84b...Rotating body protrusion 24x…Engagement surface 25, 88...Drive unit 30…Battery 33...Receiver 34...Control device 51...(Trailer) Car body 62...Slab 62a...Slab recess 82x Rotating body driver 84t...Protrusion formation area 84g power transmission range 100...Train toys 110, 110A, 110B... Orbit 110a…straight line area 110b…Curve area 110e...Bifurcation region 120...Railway vehicles 121...Power car 122... Trailer B...orbit support D1: Track length direction D2…Race width direction D3: Track height direction

Claims

1. A trajectory of a toy placed on a placement surface; a toy railcar that runs on the track; Equipped with The trajectory is Imitation trackbed and imitation sleepers or slabs provided on the surface of the track bed and arranged at intervals in the direction of track extension (hereinafter referred to as the track length direction); a pair of imitation rails sandwiching the sleepers or slabs between the ballast and the pair of imitation rails; and the railcar has a powered car; The powered vehicle is The car body and a plurality of wheels supported on the car body and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction of the car body, each wheel rolling on the rail on a corresponding side; a propulsion rotor that is supported on the car body and engages with an engaged surface that is an end surface of each of the sleepers facing the track length direction or an inner surface of a slab recess recessed from the top surface of each of the slabs facing the track length direction, and that rotates relative to the car body about an axis extending in the car width direction; a drive unit provided on the vehicle body to rotate the propulsion rotor; A railway toy with a

2. The propulsion rotor is a rotating body main body having a disk shape centered on the axis; Rotating body protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body main body and face the engaged surface; and 2. The toy train according to claim 1, wherein the number of the rotating body protrusions is 5 or more and 9 or less.

3. The propulsion rotor is a rotating body main body having a disk shape centered on the axis; Rotating body protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body and face the engaged surface; and a center line of the rotor protrusion in the circumferential direction of the rotor body is located on a normal to the rotor body when viewed from the direction of the axis of the rotor body, the rotor projection forms an engaging surface facing the circumferential direction and opposing the engaged surface, 2. The railway toy according to claim 1, wherein, in a projection of the rotor protrusion onto an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis, the front end of the propulsion rotor that constitutes the engagement surface in the rotational direction forms a straight line parallel to the center line.

4. The propulsion rotor is a rotating body main body having a disk shape centered on the axis; Rotating body protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body main body and face the engaged surface; and 2. The railway toy according to claim 1, wherein the length of the rotor projection in the radial direction of the rotor body is between 2 / 7 and 1 times the diameter of the rotor body.

5. The propulsion rotor is a rotating body main body having a disk shape centered on the axis; Rotating body protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body main body and face the engaged surface; and The toy train according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the rotor projection is disposed at a position overlapping the wheel when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

6. The powered vehicle has wheel sets, each consisting of a pair of wheels arranged at an interval in the vehicle width direction, at two locations spaced apart in the length direction of the vehicle body (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle body length direction), A railway toy as described in claim 5, wherein a portion of the protrusion on the propulsion rotor is positioned so as to overlap the wheel set on one side of the car body length direction when viewed from the car width direction, and between the wheels that constitute the wheel set.

7. The power car of the railway vehicle includes a wheel set formed by a pair of the wheels arranged at an interval in the vehicle width direction; an axle extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the wheels constituting the pair of wheel sets; an axle support portion provided on the vehicle body, the axle support portion having an axle insertion hole through which the axle is inserted, and supporting each of the wheels on the vehicle body via the axle; and The axle insertion hole extends in the vehicle width direction, and an inner diameter thereof is larger on both outer sides in the vehicle width direction than at a center position in the vehicle width direction, 2. The toy train according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the axle is smaller than the minimum inner diameter of the axle insertion hole.

8. The powered vehicle has wheel sets, each consisting of a pair of wheels arranged at an interval in the vehicle width direction, at two locations spaced apart in the length direction of the vehicle body (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle body length direction), The railway toy described in claim 5, wherein a pair of wheels in the wheel set on one side of the car body longitudinal direction are arranged to sandwich the propulsion rotor in the car body width direction, and the pair of wheels and the propulsion rotor are rotatable around the axis.

9. The outer circumferential surface of the rotor main body of the propulsion rotor is a protrusion forming region from which the rotor protrusion protrudes; a pair of power transmission regions that are respectively arranged on the outer sides of the protrusion formation region in the vehicle width direction; and The railway toy according to claim 8 , wherein the drive unit includes rotor drivers arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction, each of which transmits power to the corresponding power transmission area.

10. The track has a gradient region in which the rail extends so as to curve in a height direction of the track (hereinafter referred to as a track height direction), The toy train according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein in the gradient region, the distance in the track height direction between the top surface of the sleeper or slab and the upper surface of the rail varies in the track length direction.

11. An engagement hole is formed on the back surface of the track bed, The engagement hole is a central hole region centered on a hole axis extending in a track height direction perpendicular to the track length direction; four peripheral hole regions connected to the central hole region and arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the central hole region, each of which is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the central hole region when viewed from the track height direction; and 10. A railway toy as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the central hole area is engageable with one first convex portion provided on a track support on the installation surface, and the peripheral hole areas are respectively engageable with four second convex portions provided on the track support and smaller than the first convex portion when viewed from the track height direction.

12. The railway toy according to claim 11, wherein a hole protrusion protruding from the inner surface of the engagement hole toward the radial inside of the central hole region is formed between the peripheral hole regions adjacent in the circumferential direction of the central hole region.

13. The railway vehicle further includes a trailer coupled to the power car, The trailer car is: A trailer car body, a plurality of trailer wheels supported on the trailer car body and spaced apart in the width direction of the trailer car body, each rolling on the rail on the corresponding side; a battery provided on the trailer car body to supply power to the drive unit of the power car; The toy train according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising:

14. The trailer car is: a receiver for receiving a wireless control signal; a control device that controls the drive unit based on the operation signal received by the receiver; 14. The toy train of claim 13, further comprising:

15. The powered vehicle is a receiver for receiving a wireless control signal; a control device that controls the drive unit based on the operation signal received by the receiver; The toy train according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising:

16. A toy track on which toy railcars run, Imitation trackbed and imitation sleepers or slabs provided on the surface of the track bed and arranged at intervals in the direction of track extension (hereinafter referred to as the track length direction); a pair of imitation rails sandwiching the sleepers or slabs between the ballast and the pair of imitation rails; Equipped with An engagement hole is formed on the back surface of the track bed. The engagement hole is a central hole region centered on a hole axis extending in a track height direction perpendicular to the track length direction; four peripheral hole regions connected to the central hole region and arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the central hole region, each of which is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the central hole region when viewed from the track height direction; and the central hole region is engageable with a first protrusion provided on a track support on the track installation surface, The peripheral hole area is provided in the track support and is engageable with four second protrusions that are smaller than the first protrusions when viewed in the track height direction.

17. A toy railcar that runs on a toy track, the toy railcar having a powered car, The powered vehicle is The car body and wheels supported on the vehicle body and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, the wheels rolling on the tracks; a propulsion rotor that engages with an engaged surface of the track and rotates relative to the vehicle body about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction; a drive unit provided on the vehicle body to rotate the propulsion rotor; Equipped with The propulsion rotor is a rotating body main body having a disk shape centered on the axis; Rotating body protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body main body and face the engaged surface; and The toy railcar has five or more and nine or less rotating body protrusions in the circumferential direction.

18. A toy railcar that runs on a toy track, the toy railcar having a powered car, The powered vehicle is The car body and wheels supported on the vehicle body and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, the wheels rolling on the tracks; a propulsion rotor that engages with an engaged surface of the track and rotates relative to the vehicle body about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction; a drive unit provided on the vehicle body to rotate the propulsion rotor; Equipped with The propulsion rotor is a rotating body main body having a disk shape centered on the axis; Rotating body protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body main body and face the engaged surface; and a center line of the rotor protrusion in the circumferential direction of the rotor body is located on a normal to the rotor body when viewed from the direction of the axis of the rotor body, the rotor projection faces the engaged surface in the circumferential direction, A toy railway car in which, in a projection view of the rotor protrusion onto an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis, the front end of the propulsion rotor that constitutes the engagement surface in the rotational direction forms a straight line parallel to the center line.

19. A toy railcar that runs on a toy track, the toy railcar having a powered car, The powered vehicle is The car body and wheels supported on the vehicle body and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, the wheels rolling on the tracks; a propulsion rotor that engages with an engaged surface of the track and rotates relative to the vehicle body about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction; a drive unit provided on the vehicle body to rotate the propulsion rotor; Equipped with The propulsion rotor is a rotating body main body having a disk shape centered on the axis; Rotating body protrusions that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body main body and face the engaged surface; and A toy railroad car in which the length dimension of the rotor projection in the radial direction of the rotor body is between 2 / 7 and 1 times the diameter of the rotor body.

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