Spinning top launching device

Abstract

A spinning top launching device includes a casing; an operation member; a driving wheel being configured to be rotated around a shaft thereof as a center by operating the operation member; a holder being configured outside the casing to hold releasably a spinning top; a power transmission mechanism including a power transmission element, being connected with both the driving wheel and the holder, and being configured to transmit a rotation of the driving wheel to the holder; and a rotation direction switching member being configured to switch a rotation direction of the holder between a first direction and a second direction being opposite to the first direction by moving the power transmission element between a first revolution position and a second revolution position.

Claims

1. A spinning top launching device comprising: a casing; an operation member; a driving wheel being configured to be rotated around a shaft thereof as a center by operating the operation member; a holder being configured outside the casing to hold releasably a spinning top; a power transmission mechanism including a power transmission element, being connected with both the driving wheel and the holder, and being configured to transmit a rotation of the driving wheel to the holder, the power transmission element including first and second gears; and a rotation direction switching member being configured to switch a rotation direction of the holder between a first direction and a second direction being opposite to the first direction by moving the first gear on a plane between first and second points and moving the second gear on the plane between the third and fourth point, the power transmission element including a third gear, the power transmission mechanism being configured to transmit the rotation from the driving wheel to the holder via the first and third gears in order to rotate the holder in the first direction when the first gear is moved to be in contact with the third gear, the power transmission mechanism being configured to transmit the rotation from the driving wheel to the holder via the second gear in order to rotate the holder in the second direction.

2. The spinning top launching device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission mechanism includes an input gear and an output gear, the input gear is configured to be rotated coaxially and integrally with the driving wheel, the output gear is configured to be rotated coaxially and integrally with the holder.

3. The spinning top launching device according to claim 2, wherein the first and second gears are integrally formed with and always engaged with the input gear, and are rotatable around the shaft of the driving wheel as a center.

4. The spinning top launching device according to claim 2, further comprising a lock mechanism being configured to restrict the first gear to be at the first point or the second point, and restrict the second gear to be at the third point or the fourth point.

5. The spinning top launching device according to claim 4, wherein the rotation direction switching member includes an operating body, the operating body is connected to the input gear, and the lock mechanism locks the operating body.

6. The spinning top launching device according to claim 1, wherein the driving wheel includes a coil spring, the operation member includes a string being connected to the driving wheel at one end thereof, and the string is wound on the driving wheel in a state in which an energizing force of the coil spring is stored.

7. The spinning top launching device according to claim 1, wherein the operation member includes a rack belt having rack tooth and is detachable from the driving wheel, and a pinion gear being configured on the driving wheel to be engaged with the rack tooth, and the driving wheel is configured to be rotated by operating the rack belt.

8. The spinning top launching device according to claim 2, wherein the first gear is always engaged with the input gear.

9. The spinning top launching device according to claim 8, wherein the third gear is always engaged with the first gear.

10. The spinning top launching device according claim 8, wherein the third gear is always engaged with the output gear.

11. The spinning top launching device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation of the driving wheel is transmitted to the holder via the power transmission element.

12. The spinning top launching device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation direction switching member includes a switch part being slidably configured on an outer surface of the casing to move the first and second gears.

13. The spinning top launching device according to claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism is configured to lock the operating body to prevent the holder from rotating in the first direction when rotating in the second direction is allowed.

14. The spinning top launching device according to claim 1, wherein the holder is configured to be rotated in the first direction when the holder is viewed from a bottom side of the spinning top launching device on which a top is detachably attached, and the holder is configured to be rotated in the second direction when the holder is viewed from the bottom side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view, which is viewed from an upper surface side, showing a spinning top launching toy according to the present embodiment;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view, which is viewed from a lower surface side, showing a spinning top launching toy according to the present embodiment;

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view, which is viewed from an upper surface side, showing a spinning top;

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view, which is viewed from an upper surface side, showing a driving wheel;

(5) FIG. 5 is a left side view showing an internal mechanism of the spinning top launching toy according to the present embodiment;

(6) FIG. 6(A) shows a driving mechanism and a switching mechanism of the present embodiment, and is a plane view showing a case in which a movable gear is positioned in the first revolution position;

(7) FIG. 6(B) shows the driving mechanism and the switching mechanism of the present embodiment, and is the plane view showing the case in which the movable gear is positioned in the second revolution position;

(8) FIG. 7(A) shows a lock mechanism of the present embodiment, and is a plane view showing a case in which a movable gear is positioned in the first revolution position; and

(9) FIG. 7(B) shows the lock mechanism of the present embodiment, and is the plane view showing the case in which the movable gear is positioned in the second revolution position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In the following paragraphs, some embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example and not limitation. It should be understood based on this disclosure that various other modifications can be made by those in the art based on these illustrated embodiments.

(11) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

(12) [Outline]

(13) FIG. 1 is a perspective view, which is viewed from an upper surface side, showing a spinning top launching device; FIG. 2 is a perspective view, which is viewed from a lower surface side, showing a spinning top launching toy; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view, which is viewed from an upper surface side, showing a spinning top.

(14) First, the outline of the spinning top launching device 100 in an embodiment will be described.

(15) In the spinning top launching device 100, in a case in which a spinning top 50 is to be rotated in a clockwise direction when viewed from the top, after the spinning top 50 is held by a holder 11 in a state in which the switching lever (e.g., rotation direction switching member) 14 is moved to a back side of a casing 10, a driving lever 12 is pulled hard onto the front side in a state in which the spinning top 50 is directed to a field. Then, the spinning power is applied to the spinning top 50 in the clockwise direction by the rotation of the holder 11, and the spinning top 50 is launched toward the field at the point in which the driving lever 12 is pulled to the end.

(16) On the other hand, in the spinning top launching device 100, in a case in which the spinning top 50 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the top, after the spinning top 50 is held by a holder 11 in a state in which the switching lever 14 is moved to the front side of the casing 10, the driving lever 12 is pulled hard onto the front side in a state in which the spinning top 50 is directed to the field. Then, the spinning power is applied to the spinning top 50 in the counterclockwise direction, and the spinning top 50 is launched toward the field at the point in which the driving lever 12 is pulled to the end.

(17) Further, the operating the switching lever 14 and holding the spinning top 50 may be in reverse order.

(18) Hereinafter, the detail of the spinning top launching device 100 in the embodiment will be described.

(19) [Detailed Structure]

(20) 1. External Appearance

(21) The shape of the casing 10 is not particularly limited to a rectangular shape, but the casing may be formed in a size which is possible to hold by one hand.

(22) On the lower surface of the casing 10, the holder 11 which is capable of holding and releasing the spinning top 50 is provided. The holder 11 is provided with a circular plate 11a which has a circular shape when viewed from the lower surface. The circular plate 11a is fixed to a shaft 11b which is positioned in the center of the circular plate. In the outer peripheral part of the lower surface of the circular plate 11a, the fork pieces 11c, which are extending vertically and downwardly, are positioned facing each other across the shaft 11b. Each fork piece 11c is formed in an arcuate shape when viewed from the lower surface, and the edges 110c, 110c in both sides of the circumferential direction of the circular plate 11a are inclined with respect to the lower surface of the circular plate 11a so that each fork piece 11c is formed in a trapezoidal shape. Further, a locking projection 111c is formed in the inner surface of each fork piece 11c.

(23) When the spinning top 50 is held in the holder 11, each fork piece 11c is inserted to each slit 51 of the upper surface of the body part of the spinning top 50 as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the width of one end side, which corresponds to the rotation direction of the spinning top 50, of each slit 51 of the spinning top 50 is wider than the other end side as shown in FIG. 3, so that each fork piece 11c is inserted to the wide side of each slit 51. After that, when the spinning top 50 is rotated with respect to the holder 11 in a direction of moving each fork piece 11c to the narrow side of each slit 51, the locking projection 111c slides under the edge of the narrow side of each slit 51. Accordingly, the spinning top 50 is held in the holder 11. In this state, when the holder 11 is rotated in a direction opposing to the rotation direction of the aforementioned spinning top 50, the spinning power is applied to the spinning top 50. After that, when the rotation of the holder 11 stops, the spinning top 50 only spins with inertia force. Each fork piece 11c moves from the narrow side of each slit 51 to the wide side, and one edge 110c of each fork piece 11c slides and contacts with the tip edge of the wide side of each slit 51, so that the holding is released and the spinning top 50 is launched.

(24) A driving lever 12 is provided in the front side surface of the casing 10. The driving lever 12 is provided with a basic shaft 12a and finger hooking parts 12b, 12b which overhang in a direction separating each other from two positions facing across the center of the basic shaft 12a. A top end of a string 22, which will be described later, is connected with the basic shaft 12a.

(25) A switching lever 14 is provided in the right side surface of the casing 10. The switching lever 14 is used for switching the rotation direction of the holder 11. The switching lever 14 is configured to be movable in the front and back direction of the casing 10.

(26) A lock lever 15 is provided in the lower surface of the casing 10. The lock lever 15 is used for locking the operation of the switching lever 14. The lock lever 15 is configured to be movable in the front and back direction of the casing 10.

(27) 2. Internal Mechanism

(28) (Driving Mechanism)

(29) A driving wheel 20 as shown in FIG. 4 is provided inside the casing 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the driving wheel 20 is a spring gear in which a coil spring 21 is mounted. One end of the coil spring 21 is fixed to a shaft 21a, and the other end of the coil spring 21 is fixed on the exterior wall of the driving wheel 20. The driving wheel 20 is freely rotatable with respect to the shaft 21a. The driving wheel 20 is mounted to the casing 10 by fixing the shaft 21a to the casing 10.

(30) A pulley 20a is provided in the upper part of the driving wheel 20. The base end of the string 22 which is an operation member is fixed to the pulley 20a. The string 22 is wound on the pulley 20a and is passed through a hole, which is not shown, in the casing 10, and the tip end of the string 22 is connected to the basic shaft 12a of the driving lever 12. With such structure, when the driving lever 12 is pulled, the driving wheel 20 is rotated in one direction, and the coil spring 21 is wound up against the energizing force of the coil spring 21. When the driving lever 12 is released by hand, the driving wheel 20 is rotated in a direction to unwind the coil spring 21 by the energizing force of the coil spring.

(31) (Input Gear and Output Gear)

(32) An input gear 20b is formed in the lower part of the driving wheel 20. Further, an output gear 30 is fixedly provided on the shaft 11b of the holder 11 inside the casing 10 (FIG. 5).

(33) (Movable Gear)

(34) A plate-shaped operating body 24 which is rotatable around the shaft 21a as a center is provided in the lower side of the driving wheel 20 (FIG. 7). The first movable gear (planetary gear) 25 and the second movable gear (planetary gear) 26 are provided in the operating body 24. The first movable gear 25 is also denoted as a first gear. Likewise, the second movable gear 26 is also denoted as a second gear. The first movable gear 25 and the second movable gear 26 always mesh with the input gear (sun gear) 20b, and they are rotated around the input gear 20b in accordance with the movement of the operating body 24. The first movable gear 25 meshes with both the input gear 20b in the first revolution position and a gear 29 which always meshes with the output gear 30 (FIG. 6(A)). The gear 29 is also denoted as a third gear. With such structure, the holder 11 becomes rotatable in the clockwise direction in the top view. On the other hand, the second movable gear 26 meshes with both the input gear 20b and the output gear 30 in the second revolution position (FIG. 6(B)). With such structure, the holder 11 becomes rotatable in the counterclockwise direction in the top view.

(35) (Switching Mechanism)

(36) In the aforementioned operating body 24, an arcuate-shaped partial gear (intermittent gear) 27 is provided. On the other hand, the switching lever 14 which is the rotation direction switching member moves in the front and back direction along the rail 10a formed in the side surface of the casing 10. The switching lever 14 includes the upper frame and the lower frame, and inside the switching lever, a rack plate 31 is fixedly provided. A plurality number of tooth 31a is formed in one side surface of the rack plate 31. The tooth 31a of the rack plate 31 meshes with the tooth of the aforementioned partial gear 27. The operating body 24 is rotated and moved by moving the switching lever 14 back and forth.

(37) Further, a slit 31b is provided in the rack plate 31, and the rack plate 31 is elastic in a width direction. A projection 31c is formed on one side surface of the rack plate 31 in the width direction. In the predetermined front and back positions of the switching lever 14, the projection 31c provides click feeling when it is engaged with a recessed part 10c of the casing 10.

(38) (Lock Mechanism)

(39) The lock lever 15 is formed in a plate shape. The lock lever 15 is configured to be movable in the front and back direction.

(40) Slits 15b are provided in both sides of the lock lever 15 in the width direction, and the lock lever 15 is elastic in the width direction. Projections 15c are formed in both sides of the lock lever 15 in the width direction. In the predetermined front and back positions of the lock lever 15, the projections 15c provide click feeling when they are engaged with recessed parts 10d of the casing 10. In one end of the lock lever 15, a locking projection 15d is provided. The locking projection 15d is engaged with one of the two recessed parts 24a, 24a formed in the circumference of the operating body 24, and the operating body 24 is locked in the first revolution position and the second revolution position (FIG. 7(A) and FIG. 7(B)).

(41) The embodiment of the present invention was described above, but the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment, and needless to say, various modifications may be made within the scope that does not depart from the essential point of the present invention.

(42) For example, in the aforementioned embodiment, the string-type spinning top launching device 100 is described, but a spinning top launching toy, in which a pinion gear is rotated by using a belt-shaped rack belt being detachable and linearly forming rack tooth in a side surface, and in which the driving wheel 20 is rotated in one direction by the spinning power of the pinion gear, may be applied. In this case, the pinion gear may be provided in the same shaft with the driving wheel 20 or may be provided in a different shaft.

(43) Further, in the aforementioned embodiment, the gear 29 always meshes with the output gear 30, but the gear 29 may be a movable gear and may always mesh with the first movable gear 25 as a gear. It may be integrally moved with the first and second movable gears 25, 26. Likewise, the first and second movable gears 25 26 do not have to always mesh with the input gear 20b. It is possible that only one of the first and second movable gears 25, 26 is always meshes with the input gear. It is also possible that the second movable gear 26 and the gear 29 always mesh with the output gear 30.

(44) In addition, in the aforementioned embodiment, the switching lever 14 and the lock lever 15 are configured to perform a linear reciprocating movement, but needless to say, the movement direction is not limited to this.

(45) Further, in the aforementioned embodiment, the power transmission mechanism is configured as the gear mechanism, but a roller, a pulley, or a crank mechanism may be used instead of the gear.

(46) Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiment, the driving wheel 20 and the holder 30 are spaced apart, but the driving wheel 20 and the holder 30 may be provided in a superposed manner and the driving wheel 20 and the holder 30 may be connected by a gear, or the like.

(47) Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiment, the first movable gear (planetary gear) 25 and the second movable gear (planetary gear) 26 are provided in the input gear 20b side which constitute the power transmission mechanism, and the gear 29 is provided in the output gear 30 side so as to always mesh with the output gear 30 which configures the power transmission mechanism, but it may be reversed.

(48) The terms and descriptions used herein are used only for explanatory purposes and the present invention is not limited to them. Accordingly, the present invention allows various design-changes falling within the claimed scope of the present invention.

(49) While the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, a number of illustrative embodiments are described herein with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as providing examples of the principles of the invention and such examples are not intended to limit the invention to preferred embodiments described herein and/or illustrated herein.

(50) While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described herein, the present invention is not limited to the various preferred embodiments described herein, but includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those in the art based on the present disclosure. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. For example, in the present disclosure, the term preferably is non-exclusive and means preferably, but not limited to. In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, the terminology present invention or invention is meant as a non-specific, general reference and may be used as a reference to one or more aspects within the present disclosure. The language present invention or invention should not be improperly interpreted as an identification of criticality, should not be improperly interpreted as applying across all aspects or embodiments (i.e., it should be understood that the present invention has a number of aspects and embodiments), and should not be improperly interpreted as limiting the scope of the application or claims. In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, the terminology embodiment can be used to describe any aspect, feature, process or step, any combination thereof, and/or any portion thereof, etc. In some examples, various embodiments may include overlapping features.