A toy racetrack has a variety of features allowing a user to control and effect the travel path of toy vehicles as they travel through the toy racetrack. One or more car feeders are provided as starting points for a toy vehicle that is to be introduced onto a continuous closed loop track. A manually adjustable handle is operatively connected to a toy vehicle release that extends into the path of the car feeder, which blocks a toy vehicle's path until a user deliberately lowers the release through movement of the handle. Movement of the handle in a first direction lowers the release while raising a trigger into the path of the car feeder, preventing additional cars from entering the closed loop track. Movement of the handle in a second direction lowers the release while keeping the trigger retracted, allowing all cars to enter the closed loop track.

An improved toy vehicle playset contains a tower and multiple track portions coupled to the tower that provide a path for toy vehicles to descend from the top of the tower. The tower may include an elevator mechanism for transporting toy vehicles up the tower and an interactive feature that is configured to interact with descending toy vehicles along the track portions. The descent of the toy vehicles may trigger the interactive feature to also descend from the top of the tower, where the descending interactive feature may attempt to impede or stop the descending toy vehicles along the track portions. In some embodiments, the one or more towers may further include platforms configured to store and retain a plurality of toy vehicles, mechanisms that trigger one or more toy vehicles to be launched from the platforms, and mechanisms for diverting toy vehicles onto the platforms.

An actuation assembly for a toy includes a first actuation component, a second actuation component, a first lever arm, a second lever arm, and a sequencer. The sequencer is configured to be rotated a first amount in response to actuations of the first actuation component and configured to be rotated a second amount in response to selective actuations of the second actuation component. Rotations of the first amount can actuate the first lever arm, while rotations of the second amount can actuate the first lever arm and the second lever arm. The actuation assembly may be included in a toy vehicle track set that includes a trackway along which toy vehicles can drive.

An improved toy vehicle playset contains a tower and multiple track portions coupled to the tower that provide a path for toy vehicles to descend from the top of the tower. The tower may include an elevator mechanism for transporting toy vehicles up the tower and an interactive feature that is configured to interact with descending toy vehicles along the track portions. The descent of the toy vehicles may trigger the interactive feature to also descend from the top of the tower, where the descending interactive feature may attempt to impede or stop the descending toy vehicles along the track portions. In some embodiments, the one or more towers may further include platforms configured to store and retain a plurality of toy vehicles, mechanisms that trigger one or more toy vehicles to be launched from the platforms, and mechanisms for diverting toy vehicles onto the platforms.

An animation module is configured for use on a marble run module of a plurality of physically interconnectable marble run modules. The module includes a connector, an actuator, switch contacts, and a motor. The connector connects to a connector tube of a first marble run module of the plurality of physically interconnectable marble run modules. The actuator has a button and a shaft, and is configured to dispose at least a portion of the button below a bottom of the connector. The shaft extends upward from the button. The switch contacts are mounted at least indirectly on the connector and have a closed state and an open state. The motor is operably coupled to the switch contacts to rotate responsive to the switch contacts transitioning between the open state and the closed state.

A triggered marble run module is intended for use with a plurality of physically interconnectable marble run modules. Each module retains a marble and guides the travel of the marble through the module on at least a first surface. The triggered marble run module includes a marble travel path, a marble actuated switch and an output circuit. The marble actuated switch has first and second terminals and is operably coupled to close a circuit between the first terminal and second terminal through the first terminal and the second terminal responsive to actuation by a marble traveling in proximity of the marble actuated switch. The output circuit generates at least one of a group consisting of an audio output, a visual output, and an RF signal output, responsive to formation of the closed circuit between the first terminal and the second terminal through the first and second spring elements.

Disclosed is a toy racetrack having a variety of features that together allow a user to control and effect the travel path of toy vehicles as they travel through the toy racetrack. One or more car feeders are provided as starting points for a toy vehicle that is to be introduced onto a continuous closed loop track. A manually adjustable handle is operatively connected to a toy vehicle release that extends upward into the path of the car feeder, which release blocks a toy vehicle's path until a user deliberately lowers the release through movement of the handle. Movement of the handle in a first direction will lower the release while raising a trigger upward into the path of the car feeder, thus preventing additional cars from entering the closed loop track. Movement of the handle in a second direction will lower the release while keeping the trigger retracted, thus allowing all cars on the car feeder to enter the closed loop track.

A track set for a toy vehicle includes a track portion and an actuatable mechanism. The track portion defines a track path between a first end of the track portion and a second end of the track portion. The actuatable mechanism attempts to capture a toy vehicle as the toy vehicle moves along the track path, between the first end and the second end, in response to select triggerings generated by the toy vehicle traversing the track path. The actuatable mechanism removes the toy vehicle from the track portion when the actuatable mechanism captures the toy vehicle. The actuatable mechanism may include a carriage that captures the toy vehicle. The carriage is initially disposed in a rest position that is off-path from the track path and is selectively movable, along a carriage pathway, to an actuated position that is also off-path from the track path.

A triggered marble run module is intended for use with a plurality of physically interconnectable marble run modules. Each module retains a marble and guides the travel of the marble through the module on at least a first surface. The triggered marble run module includes a marble travel path, a marble actuated switch and an output circuit. The marble actuated switch has first and second terminals and is operably coupled to close a circuit between the first terminal and second terminal through the first terminal and the second terminal responsive to actuation by a marble traveling in proximity of the marble actuated switch. The output circuit generates at least one of a group consisting of an audio output, a visual output, and an RF signal output, responsive to formation of the closed circuit between the first terminal and the second terminal through the first and second spring elements.

The present invention relates to a transforming toy and, particularly, to a multi-step transforming toy, wherein the toy transforms in a first step in a process of preparing for a launch and transforms in a second step in a process of lunching a traveling object, and the traveling object, which has passed through the transforming toy, also transforms. Therefore, the toy can arouse a child's interest and launch a predetermined shaped object such as a missile, a fist, or a baby dinosaur.