Patent · US Expired

Toy car launcher with expandable scissors members

US4690658A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
16References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 1, 1986
Grant dateSep 1, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 1, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA63H17/008
  • WIPO fieldFurniture, games
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A toy vehicle launcher having a hand grip which can be squeezed to move expandable scissors members forward in order to launch a toy vehicle. The scissors members form an expandable parallelogram linkage which is slidable mounted inside the launcher. When the hand grip is squeezed, a trigger member pivotably mounted to the grip moves a sliding plate mounted inside the launcher. As the sliding plate moves, two pins attached to the sliding plate operably engage elongated slots in two of the scissors members, pulling the two members backward and causing the linkage to expand forward. A launching plate supported on top of the scissors members moves forward with the expanding linkage pushing a toy vehicle forward. Since the linkage expands forward in a relatively smooth and uniform manner, the toy vehicle is also launched in a relatively uniform manner, helping to avoid activating or damaging any impact-activated mechanisms in the vehicle. A child may control the rate of acceleration of a vehicle being launched by controlling how hard the hand grip is squeezed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.