The present invention relates to toy vehicles, and more particularly, to a novel transmission assembly unit that transmits power from the toy vehicle's motor to the driven axle.
Usually, toy vehicle transmissions drive the vehicle wheels directly. Thus, the vehicle is unable to coast in a neutral mode because of the direct engagement of the gear train to the wheels. Further, many toy vehicle transmissions are constructed with the gears of the gear train in an in-line configuration, or one directly following another. The in-line construction results in a transmission assembly which is relatively large in size, and correspondingly difficult to fit on a small toy vehicle frame.
Moreover, another problem encountered by manufacturers of toy vehicle transmissions is that the transmission assembly must be of simple construction to limit cost, yet durable enough to withstand the often times destructive way that a child uses the vehicle.
If a transmission is to permit disengagement of gears whereby the vehicle wheels rotate freely, for cost and simplicity reasons, this should be performable in a foolproof manner and with minimal linkage structure.
A general object of this invention is to provide a unique toy vehicle transmission assembly unit that is constructed in a simple, yet durable fashion.
Another object is to provide a toy vehicle transmission assembly unit that has a compact construction, thereby facilitating the placement of the transmission assembly on a toy vehicle frame.
Yet another object is to provide a toy vehicle transmission assembly unit featuring a drive gear nonrotatably secured to the driven axle or shaft of the vehicle, and a manually shiftable gear, shiftable between positions engaging and disengaging the drive gear to produce driving and neutral modes of operation.
The transmission assembly unit contemplated in a preferred embodiment of the invention features a multiple-gear gear train, where the gears of the gear train rotate about axes extending transversely of the vehicle and are clustered about and terminate in a drive gear which normally is the lower most gear in the gear train and is nonrotatably secured to the drive axle or shaft of the vehicle. A motor driven, driving gear introduces drive to the gear train and is laterally offset from, i.e., to one side of, the drive gear described. The entire organization permits, in a compact manner easily incorporated with a toy vehicle, suitable gear reduction between the motor driven driving gear and final driven gear. The gear in the gear train which is shifted to permit either free rotation of the drive axle or a driving connection with the drive axle is disposed directly above the drive gear described, and is actuated by a shift lever readily accessible to the operator of the vehicle.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive gear driving the drive axle includes, as an integral part thereof, hub portions on opposite sides of the drive gear rotatably mounted in sleeve portions or bushing portions, which are an integral part of the transmission housing. The transmission housing may be made up of two mating sections which are secured together in opposed relation to provide a housing or covering for the gears and the gear train. Any motor provided to drive the gear train may be in the form of an electric motor mounted on the gear train housing by securement of the motor housing to the gear train housing. A gear secured to the output shaft of the motor is the driving gear, introducing drive to the drive gears of the transmission unit.