← Back to Patent Explorer
US3777420A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Detachable power module for flying toy aircraft

Assignee: Mattel Inc
•
Filing: 1972-08-04
•
Granted: 1973-12-11
•
Expires: 1992-08-04
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A completely self-contained detachable power module for removable attachment to a vehicle body, such as a flying toy aircraft fuselage, the module including a housing containing a rechargeable battery arrangement and a powerful miniature electric motor coupled through a drive arrangement to a driven element, such as a propeller, the housing also including attachment means for removably attaching the housing to a toy vehicle body.

Inventors

  • 👤 D Bosley
  • 👤 R Chang

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 00:04
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H27/00; A63H27/02; A63H29/00; A63H29/24

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 155 words
A detachable power module for removable attachment to a toy vahicle body, comprising: a propeller means; a housing having a free end and an attachment end including body attachment means for removably attaching said housing to said toy vehicle body, wherein said attachment end of said housing includes a wall orthogonal to the axis of rotation of said propeller means, and wherein said attachment means includes an attachment bulkhead mounted on one end of said body, said attachment bulkhead having a resilient holding tab adapted to grip one edge of said wall and having a holding bracket opposite said holding tab and adapted to receive and register with an opposite edge of said wall; motor means mounted only in said housing for providing power to drive said vehicle; and drive means disposed in said housing and operatively coupled to said propeller means and to said motor means for transmitting said power to said propeller means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 155 words
A detachable power module for removable attachment to a toy vahicle body, comprising: a propeller means; a housing having a free end and an attachment end including body attachment means for removably attaching said housing to said toy vehicle body, wherein said attachment end of said housing includes a wall orthogonal to the axis of rotation of said propeller means, and wherein said attachment means includes an attachment bulkhead mounted on one end of said body, said attachment bulkhead having a resilient holding tab adapted to grip one edge of said wall and having a holding bracket opposite said holding tab and adapted to receive and register with an opposite edge of said wall; motor means mounted only in said housing for providing power to drive said vehicle; and drive means disposed in said housing and operatively coupled to said propeller means and to said motor means for transmitting said power to said propeller means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 65 words
The detachable power module according to claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a propeller shaft rotatably disposed in said housing and having one end extending beyond said free end of said housing into coupled engagement with said propeller means, said drive means also including a gearing arrangement operatively coupled to and disposed between said motor means and the other end of said propeller shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 111 words
A detachable power module for removable attachment to a toy vehicle body, comprising: a propeller-shaft housing structure having a circular cross sectioned hollow elongated nose portion with a propeller-facing forward end, and having circular cross sectioned increased diameter hollow rear portion, said rear portion being provided with a plurality of tabs extending radially therefrom; and a wall having a first face and a second face, L-shaped retaining brackets provided on one of said faces for receiving said tabs on said propeller-shaft housing structure, whereby said housing structure may be connected to said wall, said wall being provided with body attachment means for removable attaching said housing structure to said vehicle body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 111 words
A detachable power module for removable attachment to a toy vehicle body, comprising: a propeller-shaft housing structure having a circular cross sectioned hollow elongated nose portion with a propeller-facing forward end, and having circular cross sectioned increased diameter hollow rear portion, said rear portion being provided with a plurality of tabs extending radially therefrom; and a wall having a first face and a second face, L-shaped retaining brackets provided on one of said faces for receiving said tabs on said propeller-shaft housing structure, whereby said housing structure may be connected to said wall, said wall being provided with body attachment means for removable attaching said housing structure to said vehicle body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 30 words
A detachable power module according to claim 3 wherein said other face of said wall is provided with motor support means for supporting motor means used to drive said vehicle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 77 words
A detachable power module according to claim 3, also comprising an elongated propeller shaft rotatably disposed in said housing structure essentially along the major axis thereof and extending beyond said propeller-facing forward end, a shaft-driving gear rotatably mounted in said housing structure perpendicular to and centered along said major axis, said shaft-driving gear having teeth provided around the periphery thereof, and a coupling member attached between the rear end of said propeller shaft and said shaft-driving gear.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 54 words
A detachable power module according to claim 5, wherein said wall includes an axle-accepting aperture centered at said major axis, said shaft-driving gear also including an axially-extending spacer projecting from the rear surface thereof, said shaft-driving gear further including an axle mounted in said spacer and passing through said axle-accepting aperture in said wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 94 words
A detachable power module according to claim 6, further comprising a propeller with an axial bore and a nose bearing member having an axial bushing portion and a transverse annular washer portion integral therewith, the forward end of said propeller shaft being seated in said axial bore of said propeller, said axial bushing portion of said nose bearing member being disposed in the axial opening in said propeller-facing forward end of said nose portion, and said annular transverse washer portion being disposed between said propeller and said propeller-facing forward end of said nose portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 48 words
A detachable power module according to claim 7, also comprising a motor means mounted on the other face of said wall and having a motor shaft and associated motor pinion extending through an aperture in said wall, said motor pinion registering with said teeth on said shaft-driving gear.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 39 words
A detachable power module according to claim 8, further comprising a rechargeable battery arrangement, and wherein said wall includes a rearwardly extending frame whereon said battery arrangement is mounted, said battery arrangement being electrically coupled to said motor means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 16 words
A detachable power module according to claim 9, wherein said body is a toy aircraft fuselage.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3528195A Cited
US3699708A Cited
US3696558A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1976-12-10 1977-06-11 1977-12-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1980-12-10 1981-06-11 1981-12-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1984-12-10 1985-06-11 1985-12-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag