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US4264080A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Toy vehicle for children

Assignee: Aprica Kassai KK
•
Filing: 1979-06-06
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Granted: 1981-04-28
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Expires: 1999-06-06
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Abstract

Abstract A vehicle for children is constructed so that a child sits on it with the legs on either side and drives it with leg strokes kicking the ground. A bonnet-like portion forming the front top of the body of the vehicle is tiltably attached to the front of the body excluding the portion. Thus, the tilting of the bonnet-like portion enables the portion to assume a closed position and an open position. The outer surface of the bonnet-like portion indicates a caricature of a human facial expression with the eyes opened, while the outer surface of the portion of the body remainder located below the bonnet-like portion indicates a human facial expression with the eyes closed. As a result, the appearance of the front of the vehicle for children will vary between the closed and open positions of the bonnet-like portion.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kenzou Kassai

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 23:20
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62K; B62K9/00; A; A63; A63G; A63G19/00; A63G19/18

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 217 words
A toy vehicle comprising: a vehicle body, a seat provided on the upper surface of said vehicle body, a plurality of ground-engaging wheels rotatably attached to the lower surface of said vehicle body, said vehicle body including a body remainder housing portion and a separate front housing portion forming the upper front surface of the vehicle body, shaft-receiving holes in said separate housing portions aligned with each other to extend through said front housing portion and through said body remainder portion, a shaft member adapted to be received in said shaft-receiving holes, whereby said front housing portion is tiltably attached to said body remainder portion, spring means operatively interposed between said separate housing portions to constantly urge said front housing portion into an open position, latch means operatively supported by said remainder housing portion and adapted for engaging said separate front housing portion to normally prevent the front housing portion from being opened by said spring means, operating means operatively connected to said latch means for unlatching said latch means, first image means applied to said separate front housing portion and second image means applied to said remainder housing portion below said separate front housing portion, whereby actuation of said latch operating means exposes said second image means by the resulting opening of said front housing portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 217 words
A toy vehicle comprising: a vehicle body, a seat provided on the upper surface of said vehicle body, a plurality of ground-engaging wheels rotatably attached to the lower surface of said vehicle body, said vehicle body including a body remainder housing portion and a separate front housing portion forming the upper front surface of the vehicle body, shaft-receiving holes in said separate housing portions aligned with each other to extend through said front housing portion and through said body remainder portion, a shaft member adapted to be received in said shaft-receiving holes, whereby said front housing portion is tiltably attached to said body remainder portion, spring means operatively interposed between said separate housing portions to constantly urge said front housing portion into an open position, latch means operatively supported by said remainder housing portion and adapted for engaging said separate front housing portion to normally prevent the front housing portion from being opened by said spring means, operating means operatively connected to said latch means for unlatching said latch means, first image means applied to said separate front housing portion and second image means applied to said remainder housing portion below said separate front housing portion, whereby actuation of said latch operating means exposes said second image means by the resulting opening of said front housing portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first image means and said second image means are coordinated or related to each other to expose different expressions of a single basic image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first image means and said second image means are unrelated to each other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 47 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said shaft member is constructed so that even after the shaft member has been mounted it can be withdrawn, whereby the withdrawal of said shaft member enables said front housing portion to be separated from the body remainder housing portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said shaft member is constructed so that after being mounted it cannot be withdrawn.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said operating means for said latch means comprise a push button.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said operating means for said latch means comprise a lever.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 34 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said operating means for said latch means comprises a push button and a lever which are disposed on the vehicle at different positions relative to each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 42 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising bellows means operatively arranged to be compressed in response to the manipulation of said latch operating means, and a whistle arranged to be blown by the air being forced out of said bellows means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 33 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said shaft member is disposed in a relatively rearward area of said front housing portion and extends in the direction of the width of the vehicle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 33 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said shaft member is disposed in a relatively forward area of said front housing portion and extends in the direction of the width of the vehicle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 20 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first and second image means simulate different facial expressions of an animal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 23 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first and second image means are facial expressions with the eyes opened and closed, respectively.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 19 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said image means comprise three-dimensionally formed accessories on said vehicle body portions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 12 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said image means comprise stickers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 41 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein a plurality of types of said separate front housing portion are prepared for exchange one for another and any one of them is selectively combined with said body remainder to constitute said vehicle body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 24 words
The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said separate front body portion and said body remainder housing portion are made of rigid plastic material.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1319321A Cited
US1447953A Cited
US3044287A Cited
GB945178A Cited
US3791662A Cited
US3902739A Cited
US4114312A Cited
US4105347A Cited
USD252653S Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1984-04-27 1984-10-27 1985-04-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1988-04-27 1988-10-27 1989-04-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1992-04-27 1992-10-27 1993-04-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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