TOY WHEEL ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A toy wheel assembly including a first wheel having a first surface and a second surface, a second wheel having a third surface and a fourth surface and a cylindrical shaft. The cylindrical shaft having a first edge and a second edge. The first wheel is connected to the second wheel by the cylindrical shaft. The first edge of the cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted to a center of the second surface of the first wheel, and the second edge of the cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted to a center of the third surface of the second wheel. Such that the first wheel and the second wheel rotate around a joint axis in unison, and the cylindrical shaft maintains a predetermined gap between the second surface and the third surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/378,152 filed on Oct. 3, 2022, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure generally relates to toys and more specifically to a toy wheel assembly.

BACKGROUND

Toy wheel assembly is used to enable toys the ability to roll, or drive. Traditional toy wheel assembly is usually included as an integral part in a body part of a toy. In such cases, the toy wheel assembly is physically connected to a toy body part and therefore the ability to change the configuration of the toy body is limited or impossible.

Therefore, there is a need to provide a toy wheel assembly for a toy, which can overcome the above-mentioned problem.

SUMMARY

A summary of several example embodiments of the disclosure follows. This summary is provided for the convenience of the reader to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments and does not wholly define the breadth of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. For convenience, the term “some embodiments” or “certain embodiments” may be used herein to refer to a single embodiment or multiple embodiments of the disclosure.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein include a toy wheel assembly. The toy wheel assembly comprises: a first wheel having a first surface and a second surface; a second wheel having a third surface and a fourth surface; and a cylindrical shaft having a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first wheel is connected to the second wheel by the cylindrical shaft, wherein the cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted to a center of the second surface of the first wheel by the first edge, and the cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted to a center of the third surface of the second wheel by the second edge, wherein the first wheel and the second wheel rotate around a joint axis in unison, and wherein the cylindrical shaft maintains a predetermined gap between the second surface and the third surface, wherein the predetermined gap is larger than a width of the first wheel and a width of the second wheel by at least a first predetermined value.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the toy wheel assembly, wherein the width of the predetermined gap is adapted to accept a toy part having at least one groove by a first groove of the at least one groove, so that the cylindrical shaft of the toy wheel assembly rotate freely within the groove of the at least one groove of the toy part.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the toy wheel assembly, wherein the cylindrical shaft is mounted to the center of the second surface and the center of the third surface by at least one of: gluing and screwing.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the toy wheel assembly, wherein at least one of the center of the second surface and the center of the third surface includes a socket, wherein the socket is adapted to receive an edge of the cylindrical shaft by insertion.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the toy wheel assembly, wherein the predetermined gap is larger than a width of a side of the toy part that includes the first groove of the at least one groove of the toy part by a second predetermined value.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the toy wheel assembly, wherein the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are identical.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein include the toy wheel assembly, wherein the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are different.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter that is regarded as the disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A-1C show isometric views of a toy wheel assembly, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2A-2B show exploded isometric views of a toy wheel assembly, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of a toy wheel assembly, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4A-4C show isometric views of a toy wheel assembly and a toy part adapted to be accepted by the toy wheel assembly, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is important to note that the embodiments disclosed herein are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed embodiments. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts through several views.

A toy wheel assembly including a first wheel having a first surface and a second surface, a second wheel having a third surface and a fourth surface, and a cylindrical shaft. The cylindrical shaft having a first edge and a second edge. The first wheel is connected to the second wheel by the cylindrical shaft. The cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted by the first edge of the cylindrical shaft to the center of the second surface of the first wheel, and the cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted by the second edge of the cylindrical shaft to the center of the third surface of the second wheel. Such that the first wheel and the second wheel rotate around a joint axis in unison, and the cylindrical shaft maintains a predetermined gap between the second surface and the third surface.

FIG. 1A-1C show example isometric views of a toy wheel assembly 100 according to an embodiment. The toy wheel assembly 100 includes a first wheel 110 having a first surface 111 and a second surface 112. The first surface 111 is being opposite to the second surface 112. That is, the first surface 111 and the second surface 112 are on either side of the first wheel 110. The toy wheel assembly 100 further includes a second wheel 120 having a third surface 121 and a fourth surface 122. The third surface 121 is being opposite to the fourth surface 122. In an embodiment, diameters of the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120 may be identical.

The toy wheel assembly 100 further includes a cylindrical shaft 130 having a first edge 131 and a second edge 132 (shown in FIG. 2A-2B). The first wheel 110 is connected to the second wheel 120 by the cylindrical shaft 130. The cylindrical shaft 130 is perpendicularly mounted to a first center 141 of the second surface 112 of the first wheel 110 by the first edge 131 of the cylindrical shaft 130. The cylindrical shaft 130 is perpendicularly mounted to a second center 142 of the third surface 121 of the second wheel 120 by the second edge 132 of the cylindrical shaft 130. Thus, the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120 rotate around a joint axis in unison and the cylindrical shaft 130 maintains a predetermined gap between the second surface 112 and the third surface 121. In an embodiment, the joint axis is an axis that is common and runs through centers of the first wheel 110, the second wheel 120, and the cylindrical shaft 130.

It should be noted that the first edge 131 and the second edge 132 of the cylindrical shaft 130 may be mounted to the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120 by, for example, but not limited to, gluing, screwing, and the like, and any combination thereof, of the edges (131 and 132) to the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120, respectively. According to one embodiment, the first center 141 and the second center 142 may include sockets to which the first edge 131 and the second edge 132 of the cylindrical shaft 130 are inserted.

FIG. 3 is an example front view of a toy wheel assembly 100 according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, the first wheel 110 has a first width 151 and the second wheel has a second width 152. In an embodiment, the first width 151 and the second width 152 are identical. In another embodiment, the first width 151 and the second width 152 may be different. A predetermined gap, between the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120, has a third width 153. The third width 153 is larger than each of the first width 151 of the first wheel 110 and the second width 152 of the second wheel 120, by at least a first predetermined value.

FIGS. 4A-4C are examples of a toy wheel assembly 100 and a toy part 200 according to an embodiment. The toy part 200 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B includes four grooves, e.g., groove 210 through groove 240. In an embodiment, the predetermined gap (having the third width 153, FIG. 3) between the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120, is adapted to accept the toy part 200 by at least one groove (e.g., the groove 210), as shown in FIG. 4C, so that the cylindrical shaft 130 of the toy wheel assembly 100 may rotate freely within, for example, the groove 210 of the toy part 200. The cylindrical shaft 130 may be in contact with one or more surfaces within the groove 210. In an embodiment, depth of the grooves, e.g., the groove 210 through groove 240, is deeper, at least in epsilon, than a radius of the cylindrical shaft 130 of FIG. 3. According to another embodiment, the depth of the grooves, e.g., the groove 210 through groove 240, is lower than the gap between a top edge 137 of the shaft 130 and the bottom edge of the wheels 151-5 and 152-5 (shown in FIG. 3), so that the toy part 200 does not touch the ground and be stuck.

In a further embodiment, the toy part 200 may include, for example, a first surface 201, a second surface 202 (being opposite to the first surface 201), and at least three sides 207, e.g., side 207-1 through side 207-3. Each side 207 extends from the first surface 201 (shown in FIG. 4A) to the second surface 202 (shown in FIG. 4B). The sides 207 having an identical predetermined fourth width which is smaller than the third width 153 of the predetermined gap (shown in FIG. 3) by a second predetermined value. In an embodiment, the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value may be identical. In another embodiment, the first predetermined value is different from the second predetermined value. In an embodiment, the toy part 200 may have one or more grooves on any one of the one or more sides of the toy part 200. It should be noted that the shape of the example toy part 200 is shown for illustrative purposes and does not limit the scope of the disclosed embodiments.

In an embodiment, when both the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120 touch the ground, the toy wheel assembly 100 is stabilized over the ground. Then, a toy part (e.g., the toy part 200) having one or more grooves may be placed on the toy wheel assembly 100 by placing a first groove (e.g., the groove 210) of the toy part between the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120 (i.e., in the predetermined gap). It should be noted that only gravity is used for keeping the groove (e.g., the groove 210) of toy part (e.g., the toy part 200) on the cylindrical shaft 130 and between the first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120. No other connection may be needed to maintain the groove of the toy part within the predetermined gap between first wheel 110 and the second wheel 120.

The purpose of the disclosure is to provide a simple wheel mechanism that may be easily placed on and removed from a toy part having at least one groove, without a need to establish a permanent connection between a wheel assembly and a toy part. It should be noted that the toy wheel assembly may rotate freely within the groove of the toy part.

As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” followed by a listing of items means that any of the listed items can be utilized individually, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be utilized. For example, if a system is described as including “at least one of A, B, and C,” the system can include A alone; B alone; C alone; 2A; 2B; 2C; 3A; A and B in combination; B and C in combination; A and C in combination; A, B, and C in combination; 2A and C in combination; A, 3B, and 2C in combination; and the like.

It should be understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as “first,” “second,” and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations are generally used herein as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements may be employed there or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner. Also, unless stated otherwise, a set of elements comprises one or more elements.

All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

Claims

1. A toy wheel assembly, comprises:

a first wheel having a first surface and a second surface;

a second wheel having a third surface and a fourth surface; and

a cylindrical shaft having a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first wheel is connected to the second wheel by the cylindrical shaft, wherein the cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted to a center of the second surface of the first wheel by the first edge, and the cylindrical shaft is perpendicularly mounted to a center of the third surface of the second wheel by the second edge, wherein the first wheel and the second wheel rotate around a joint axis in unison, and wherein the cylindrical shaft maintains a predetermined gap between the second surface and the third surface, wherein the predetermined gap is larger than a width of the first wheel and a width of the second wheel by at least a first predetermined value.

2. The toy wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the width of the predetermined gap is adapted to accept a toy part having at least one groove by a first groove of the at least one groove, so that the cylindrical shaft of the toy wheel assembly rotate freely within the groove of the at least one groove of the toy part.

3. The toy wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical shaft is mounted to the center of the second surface and the center of the third surface by at least one of: gluing and screwing.

4. The toy wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the center of the second surface and the center of the third surface includes a socket, wherein the socket is adapted to receive an edge of the cylindrical shaft by insertion.

5. The toy wheel assembly of claim 2, wherein the predetermined gap is larger than a width of a side of the toy part that includes the first groove of the at least one groove of the toy part by a second predetermined value.

6. The toy wheel assembly of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are identical.

7. The toy wheel assembly of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are different.