Toy tractor-trailer rig

Abstract

A toy tractor-trailer vehicle includes multiple separate, but connectable, vehicular components wherein a trailer is formed by a trailer bed and a separate trailer box. The trailer bed and trailer box are joined together to form a conventional toy vehicle trailer and the trailer bed is reversed and joined with the box to form a storage container for the toy vehicle housing at least the tractor. The toy vehicle may be remotely-controlled with the controller also in the storage container. The trailer box is adapted to accept panels with graphic images displayed thereon and printed by the user of the toy vehicle. The graphic images are obtained via the Internet.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A toy tractor-trailer rig comprising: 
 a tractor assembly; and,    a trailer assembly including a flat bed trailer and a trailer box portion, the flat bed trailer and the trailer box portion being interconnected in a first configuration to form a toy vehicle trailer, and in a second configuration to form a storage container for the toy tractor-trailer rig enclosing at least the tractor assembly.    
     
     
         2 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 1 , wherein the flat bed trailer comprises a trailer bed with first and second opposing major sides and wherein the first major side is enclosed within the storage container when the flat bed trailer is used as part of the storage container and is exterior to the trailer box portion when the flat bed trailer is interconnected with the trailer box portion to form the trailer assembly.  
     
     
         3 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of road wheels are mounted to a first major side of the flat bed trailer and wherein the plurality of road wheels are enclosed within the storage container when the flat bed trailer is used as part of the storage container and are exterior to the trailer box portion when the flat bed trailer is interconnected with the trailer box portion to form the trailer assembly.  
     
     
         4 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 1 , wherein at least some sides of the trailer box portion are formed from a transparent material.  
     
     
         5 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 1 , wherein at least some sides of the trailer box portion are adapted to accept panels with graphic images displayed thereon.  
     
     
         6 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 5 , wherein the graphic images are printed using a personal computer and associated printer.  
     
     
         7 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 5 , wherein the graphic images are obtained via the Internet.  
     
     
         8 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 1 , wherein the tractor assembly further comprises a chassis, a battery power source supported by the chassis, a drive motor also supported by the chassis and receiving power from the battery power source, two drive wheels located on opposite lateral sides of the chassis, at least one of the two drive wheels being operably coupled with the drive motor, a remote control receiver supported by the chassis for receiving remote radio control signals for controlling the drive motor and an antenna operatively coupled to the remote control receiver; and 
 wherein the toy tractor-trailer rig further comprises a remote control unit with transmitter, the unit being removably contained within the storage container with the tractor assembly in the second configuration.    
     
     
         9 . The remote controlled toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 8 , 
 wherein the flat bed trailer comprises a trailer bed with first and second opposing major sides and wherein the first major side is enclosed within the storage container when the flat bed trailer is used as part of the storage container and is exterior to the trailer box portion when the flat bed trailer is interconnected with the trailer box portion to form the trailer assembly.    
     
     
         10 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 8 , wherein at least some sides of the trailer box portion are formed from a transparent material.  
     
     
         11 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 8 , wherein at least some sides of the trailer box portion are adapted to accept panels with graphic images displayed thereon.  
     
     
         12 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 11 , wherein the graphic images are printed using a personal computer and associated printer.  
     
     
         13 . The toy tractor-trailer rig of  claim 12 , wherein the graphic images are obtained via the Internet.  
     
     
         14 . A toy tractor-trailer rig, comprising: 
 a tractor assembly;    a trailer assembly comprised of a flat bed trailer and a trailer box portion;    wherein sides of the trailer box portion are adapted to accept panels with graphic images displayed thereon, the graphic images being printed using a personal computer and printer with graphic images obtained via the Internet.