Running toys

Abstract

To provide a traveling toy capable of changing traveling directions in a novel aspect unlike conventional ones.SOLUTION: A traveling toy includes: four support bodies 11, 12, 13, 14 openably / closably connected in a rhombic pantagraph shape in a planar view; and wheels 30 provided on the four support bodies 11, 12, 13, 14 respectively. Opening / closing the four support bodies 11, 12, 13, 14 change directions of the wheels 30. The toy may further include: a driving power source imparting a rotary force to at least one of the wheels; and an opening / closing power source 50 for opening / closing the four support bodies 11, 12, 13, 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a traveling toy characterized by a manner in which the traveling direction is changed. [Background technology]

[0002] A typical running toy such as a radio-controlled car has a steering mechanism for changing the direction of travel. For example, a toy has a swingable link attached to the body of the car, wheels are attached to the link, and the link is moved by a motor to change the direction of the tires. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a running toy whose running direction can be controlled by tilting the body to the left or right. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-259248 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional running toys as described above merely imitate the movements of real vehicles, and have the problem of lacking novelty. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a running toy that can change its running direction in a novel manner that has not been seen before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a vehicle comprising four supports connected so as to be able to be opened and closed in a diamond-shaped pantograph shape when viewed in a plane, and wheels respectively provided on the four supports, and the direction of the wheels can be changed by opening and closing the four supports. Effect of the Invention

[0006] As described above, the present invention is configured such that the direction of the wheels can be changed by opening and closing the four supports that are connected so as to be able to be opened and closed in a diamond-shaped pantograph shape in a plan view. With this configuration, the running direction can be changed in a novel manner that has not been seen before. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the traveling toy with the four supports closed, and FIG. [Diagram 2] 2A is a perspective view of the traveling toy with the four supports closed in a direction different from that shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of the traveling toy. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a traveling toy with four supports open, and FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the traveling toy with the four supports closed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the traveling toy in a state where the four supports are closed in a direction different from that in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the traveling toy with the four supports open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the running toy 10 of this embodiment comprises four supports (first support 11, second support 12, third support 13, fourth support 14) assembled to form the four sides of a rectangle, wheels 30 provided on each of the four supports, and connectors (first connector 21, second connector 22, third connector 23, fourth connector 24) provided between the supports to connect adjacent supports.

[0009] The four supports can be opened and closed in a diamond-shaped pantograph shape in a plan view, and are connected by a connector. In this embodiment, the first support 11 and the second support 12 are connected via a first connector 21, the third support 13 and the fourth support 14 are connected via a second connector 22, the second support 12, the third support 13 and the fourth support 14 are connected via a third connector 23, and the first support 11 and the fourth support 14 are connected via a fourth connector 24. As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, each connector has two rotating shafts 26. The ends of the two supports to be connected are attached to the two rotating shafts 26 so as to be freely rotatable.

[0010] The four supports function as links of the link mechanism by being rotatably attached near both ends to the pivot shafts 26. The distance between the pivot shafts 26 on both sides of each support is set equal for all supports, so the four supports function as links of the same length.

[0011] Moreover, the four supports are provided with gear parts 16 near both ends. The gear parts 16 are integrally provided on each support, and as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the gear parts 16 of the adjacent supports mesh with each other. Specifically, one of the gear parts 16 of the first support 11 meshes with the gear part 16 of the second support 12, and the other of the gear parts 16 of the fourth support 14. One of the gear parts 16 of the second support 12 meshes with the gear part 16 of the first support 11, and the other of the gear parts 16 of the third support 13. One of the gear parts 16 of the third support 13 meshes with the gear part 16 of the second support 12, and the other of the gear parts 16 of the fourth support 14. One of the gear parts 16 of the fourth support 14 meshes with the gear part 16 of the first support 11, and the other of the gear parts 16 of the third support 13.

[0012] In this way, the gear portions 16 of the two adjacent supports mesh with each other, so that when one support (the first support 11 in this embodiment) rotates, a force is transmitted via the gear portions 16, and the other supports rotate in conjunction with it. By rotating in this way, the four supports can be smoothly opened and closed in a range from a vertically closed state as shown in Fig. 1 to a horizontally closed state as shown in Fig. 2.

[0013] Each of these four supports rotatably supports one wheel 30. Each wheel 30 has an axle 34 that serves as a rotation shaft, and this axle 34 is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support in a plan view (the length direction when the support is seen as a link, i.e., the direction connecting the rotation shafts 26 at both ends of the support). In addition, as shown in Fig. 4 or 6, when the four supports are closed, the two axles 34 at the front and the two at the rear are arranged to be in a straight line.

[0014] One of these four wheels 30 is a drive wheel 31 to which a rotational force is directly applied by a drive power source 40. In this embodiment, a motor is built into the first support 11 as the drive power source 40, and this motor applies a rotational force to the wheel 30 supported by the first support 11. In other words, the wheel 30 supported by the first support 11 is the drive wheel 31. Note that the wheels 30 that are not the drive wheel 31 (the wheels 30 supported by the second support 12, the third support 13, and the fourth support 14) are non-drive wheels 32.

[0015] As described above, the first support 11 is a support to which the driving power source 40 is fixed and which supports the driving wheel 31. Such a support is called a power support in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, a transmission gear 43 that meshes with an output gear 41 of the driving power source 40 (motor) is built into this power support. This transmission gear 43 meshes with an axle gear 45 fixed to the axle 34 of the driving wheel 31. Therefore, when the driving power source 40 (motor) rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the axle 34, causing the driving wheel 31 to rotate.

[0016] Also, an engagement portion 36 that rotates in conjunction with the wheel 30 is provided at the end of the axle 34 (the end opposite to the end to which the wheel 30 is attached). In this embodiment, the engagement portion 36 that rotates in conjunction with the wheel 30 is provided at the end of the axle 34 in all supports, not just in the first support 11 which is the power support. Note that the engagement portion 36 does not necessarily need to be provided in all supports; it is sufficient to provide it in at least two supports adjacent to the power support (the second support 12, the fourth support 14).

[0017] This engagement portion 36 is formed in the shape of a crown gear, and constitutes a meshing clutch capable of transmitting torque between the two axles 34. That is, when the four supports are closed, the engagement portion 36 of the first support 11, which is the power support, engages with the engagement portion 36 of the other support (the second support 12 or the fourth support 14) that overlaps the first support 11, so that the rotational force of the drive wheel 31 is transmitted to the other wheels 30 (the non-driven wheels 32).

[0018] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when the four supports are closed so that the first support 11 and the second support 12 overlap, the engagement portion 36 of the first support 11 and the engagement portion 36 of the second support 12 engage with each other, and the rotational force of the drive wheel 31 is transmitted to the wheel 30 of the second support 12. Therefore, these two wheels 30 rotate synchronously. As a result, the wheels 30 on both sides rotate at the same speed, and the traveling toy 10 can move forward in a straight line. At this time, the engagement portion 36 of the third support 13 and the engagement portion 36 of the fourth support 14 engage with each other, and therefore these two wheels 30 also rotate synchronously.

[0019] 6, when the four supports are closed such that the first support 11 and the fourth support 14 overlap, the engagement portion 36 of the first support 11 and the engagement portion 36 of the fourth support 14 engage with each other, and the rotational force of the drive wheel 31 is transmitted to the wheel 30 of the fourth support 14. Therefore, these two wheels 30 rotate synchronously. Also, since the engagement portion 36 of the second support 12 and the engagement portion 36 of the third support 13 engage with each other, these two wheels 30 also rotate synchronously. According to this configuration, the orientation of the wheels 30 can be changed by opening and closing the four supports.

[0020] For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the four supports are closed such that the first support 11 and the second support 12 overlap, all four wheels 30 are parallel. When the drive wheel 31 is rotated in this state, the traveling toy 10 travels straight with the first connected body 21 or the second connected body 22 at the front.

[0021] 2 and 6, when the four supports are closed such that the first support 11 and the fourth support 14 overlap, all four wheels 30 are parallel to each other in a direction that is 90 degrees different from the direction of the wheels 30 in the state of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4. When the drive wheel 31 is rotated in this state, the running toy 10 runs straight with the third connected body 23 or the fourth connected body 24 at the front.

[0022] 3 and 7, when the supports are open, the wheels 30 can be oriented in different directions. When the drive wheels 31 are rotated in this state, the traveling toy 10 moves as if spinning on the spot.

[0023] Incidentally, the traveling toy 10 according to this embodiment includes an opening / closing power source 50 for opening and closing the four supports. Therefore, by driving the opening / closing power source 50, the direction of the wheels 30 can be changed electrically. The opening / closing power source 50 is a motor built into the first connecting body 21. As shown in FIG. 5, an intermediate gear 52 meshing with an output gear 51 of the opening / closing power source 50 (motor) is built into the first connecting body 21. The intermediate gear 52 meshes with a fixed gear 53. The fixed gear 52 is integrally provided on one of the supports (the first supporting body 11 in this embodiment), so that when a rotational force is applied to the fixed gear 52 by the intermediate gear 52, the first supporting body 11 rotates around the rotation shaft 26. Therefore, when the motor of the opening / closing power source 50 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the fixed gear 53, and the first supporting body 11 rotates relative to the first connecting body 21. However, the first support 11 can rotate within a range of about 90 degrees with respect to the first connecting body 21 between the state shown in Fig. 4 and the state shown in Fig. 6, and cannot rotate beyond this range (rotation is restricted by interference from parts). If a rotational force is transmitted beyond this rotational range, the parts may be subjected to a load and may be damaged. For this reason, when a reaction force of a certain value or more is transmitted, the rotational force of the opening / closing power source 50 is nullified by a known mechanism (for example, a mechanism in which a gear moves in the retracting direction against the elastic force of a spring) to prevent excessive load from being applied to the parts.

[0024] However, when the opening / closing power source 50 is driven to change the direction of the wheels 30, the running toy 10 is in a grounded state, so if the friction between the wheels 30 and the ground is large, the four supports cannot be opened or closed smoothly. If the friction is too large, the mechanism for releasing the rotational force described above will be activated, and the opening and closing may not work. For this reason, the wheels 30 according to this embodiment are provided with a ground contact portion 38 that protrudes in a ring shape on the surface. When the running toy 10 is placed on a flat surface, the ground contact portion 38 comes into contact with the ground, thereby reducing the installation area and reducing the friction between the wheels 30 and the ground.

[0025] Although not specifically shown, the running toy 10 according to this embodiment is capable of controlling the driving of the driving power source 40 and the opening / closing power source 50 by wire or wirelessly. That is, the running toy 10 is provided with a controller having an operation unit capable of inputting the stop, forward rotation, and reverse rotation of the driving power source 40 and the opening / closing power source 50, and the running toy 10 and the opening / closing of the four supports can be controlled by operating this controller.

[0026] As an example of a controller, a first operating unit (such as a lever) capable of inputting stop, forward rotation, and reverse rotation of the drive power source 40, and a second operating unit (such as a lever) capable of inputting stop, forward rotation, and reverse rotation of the opening / closing power source 50, may be provided.

[0027] Also, a controller capable of controlling the driving of the drive power source 40 and the opening / closing power source 50 with one operation unit may be used. For example, the controller may be provided with an operation unit (such as a joystick) operable in at least four directions, up, down, left and right, such that when the operation unit is operated in the upward direction, the vehicle travels with the first connected body 21 at the front, when the operation unit is operated in the downward direction, the vehicle travels with the second connected body 22 at the front, when the operation unit is operated in the left direction, the vehicle travels with the third connected body 23 at the front, and when the operation unit is operated in the right direction, the vehicle travels with the fourth connected body 24 at the front. At this time, the opening / closing power source 50 may be automatically driven in accordance with the traveling direction, and the orientation of the wheels 30 may be changed.

[0028] As described above, according to this embodiment, the orientation of the wheels 30 can be changed by opening and closing the four supports connected in an openable and closable manner in a diamond-shaped pantograph shape in plan view. This makes it possible to change the running direction in a novel manner not seen before.

[0029] In addition, an opening / closing power source 50 for opening and closing the four supports is provided. Therefore, the traveling toy 10 can be deformed and the traveling direction can be changed by an external operation.

[0030] Furthermore, when the four supports are closed, the engaging portion 36 of the power support (first support 11) engages with the engaging portion 36 of the other support (second support 12 or fourth support 14) that overlaps with the power support, so that the rotational force of the drive wheel 31 is transmitted to the other wheel 30. Therefore, regardless of the direction in which the four supports are closed, the rotational speeds of the wheels 30 on both the left and right sides can be synchronized, and the running toy 10 can run in a straight line.

[0031] In addition, the support has gear portions 16 on both ends, and is configured so that the gear portions 16 of two adjacent supports mesh with each other. With this configuration, by rotating any support, the other supports can be rotated smoothly in conjunction with it. For example, in this embodiment, by simply rotating the first support 11 with the opening / closing power source 50, all the supports can be rotated smoothly in conjunction with it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10. Running Toys 11 First support (power support) 12 Second support 13 Third support 14 Fourth support 16 Gear section 21 1st connector 22 Second Connector 23 Third Connector 24 Fourth Connector 26 Rotating shaft 30 wheels 31 Driving Wheel 32 Non-driving wheels 34 Axles 36 Engagement part 38 Grounding part 40 Driving power source 41 Output gear 43 Transmission Gear 45 Axle Gear 50 Opening / closing power source 51 Output gear 52 Intermediate Gear 53 Fixed Gear

Claims

1. Four supports connected in an openable and closable manner in a diamond-shaped pantograph shape in a plan view; A wheel provided on each of the four supports; Equipped with The direction of the wheels is changed by opening and closing the four supports. Running toys.

2. A drive power source that applies a rotational force to at least one of the wheels; An opening / closing power source for opening and closing the four supports; Further comprising: The traveling toy according to claim 1.

3. the drive power source is fixed to a power support that is one of the four supports, and is capable of applying a rotational force to a drive wheel that is one of the wheels provided on the power support; At least a part of the support body has an engagement portion that rotates in conjunction with the wheel, When the four supports are closed, the engaging portion of the power support engages with an engaging portion of another support overlapping the power support, so that the rotational force of the drive wheel is transmitted to the other wheel. The traveling toy according to claim 2.

4. The support has gear portions at both ends, and the gear portions of two adjacent supports mesh with each other. The traveling toy according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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