Radio-controlled toy skateboard

Abstract

A radio-controlled toy skateboard comprises a deck and front and rear trucks. The individual wheels of the rear truck can be controlled separately responsive to radio signals from a remote transmitter for rotation in either direction, while the front wheels rotate freely. Also responsive to radio control signals, the rear truck is controllably pivoted with respect to the deck about a kingpin axis that is inclined rearwardly, while the front truck pivots freely about a forwardly inclined kingpin axis. When the rear truck is thus pivoted, the deck tilts about its longitudinal centerline, causing the front truck to pivot correspondingly, steering the skateboard. A pair of modeled shoes are mounted for free pivoting about pivot axes. As the board tilts toward one side or the other, the shoes pivot from a toes-in to a toes-out position, mimicing the foot movements of a live “skater”. The forward shoe is mounted on a trolley sliding freely on an inclined ramp. When the board rests on a horizontal surface, the trolley slides forward, so that the forward shoe moves toward the forward end of the board; if the front end of the board is tilted upwardly, as in a “wheelie” manuever, the forward shoe slides rearwardly, as would that of a skater doing such a trick.

1 . A radio-controlled toy skateboard, comprising:
 a generally planar deck, having a forward end and a rearward end, and defining a longitudinal centerline,   front and rear truck assemblies, each comprising a pair of wheels mounted on an axle,   the front truck assembly comprising a pair of wheels each mounted for free rotation on a forward transverse axle, said forward transverse axle being supported for free pivoting about a forward kingpin axis aligned with said centerline and inclined forwardly with respect to the vertical,   the rear truck assembly comprising a pair of wheels with first and second separately controllable drive motor assemblies such that each of said rear wheels can be independently driven in either direction of rotation about a rearward transverse axle, said rearward transverse axle being supported for controllable pivoting about a rearward kingpin axis aligned with said centerline and inclined rearwardly with respect to the vertical,   a remotely-controlled receiver and power supply assembly responsive to control signals from a remote transmitter and operable to provide power to said first and second separately controllable drive motor assemblies for independently driving said rear wheels in either direction with respect to said rearward axle, and to a further motor operable to pivot said rear truck assembly in either direction with respect to said rearward kingpin axis,   whereby said skateboard can be steered in either direction by pivoting said rear truck assembly with respect to said rearward kingpin axis, such that said deck is tilted about said longitudinal axis, by differential driving of the wheels of said rear truck, or by combinations thereof.   
   
   
       2 . The toy skateboard of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of model shoes mounted on said deck such that said shoes pivot with respect to the longitudinal axis of said deck as said deck is inclined with respect to said axis responsive to pivoting of said rear truck about its kingpin axis. 
   
   
       3 . The toy skateboard of  claim 2 , wherein said shoes are modeled to define forward toe portions, after heel portions, and intervening shapes so as to resemble wearable shoes, and are mounted to said deck by support assemblies that define nominal orientations, such that said shoes have a nominal rest position wherein the toe portions are aligned toward a first lateral side of said deck, said mounting assemblies permitting pivoting of said shoes about axes substantially perpendicular to the plane of said deck, and said shoes being weighted so that they pivot between approximately defined positions under the influence of gravity alone as the deck is tilted or inclined with respect to the horizontal responsive to control signals from said transmitter. 
   
   
       4 . The toy skateboard of  claim 3 , wherein said shoes are balanced in the fore and aft direction about a central pivot point, and are weighted side to side about said pivot point such that they pivot so that their toe portions turn away from one another as the deck is tilted to the side toward which the toe portions of the shoes are nominally aligned, and pivot in the opposite direction as the deck is tilted to the opposite side. 
   
   
       5 . The toy skateboard of  claim 4 , wherein said shoes comprise molded plastic members that are nominally balanced in the fore and aft and side to side directions, and are provided with weights inserted in their insteps, opposite the respective pivot points, so as to pivot in the desired manner responsive to tilting of said deck. 
   
   
       6 . The toy skateboard of  claim 4 , wherein the central pivot point as to which the forward shoe is pivoted is mounted on a trolley sliding freely on a ramp that is inclined such that the trolley and shoe move toward the forward end of said deck when said skateboard rests on a horizontal surface, and move rearwardly when the skateboard is operated so as to lift the forward end upwardly. 
   
   
       7 . The toy skateboard of  claim 6 , wherein said trolley comprises a car riding on freely-rotating spaced rollers fitting into tracks comprised by said ramp. 
   
   
       8 . The toy skateboard of  claim 7 , wherein said ramp is mounted under said deck, and said pivot point is defined by a mast extending upwardly through a slot in said deck. 
   
   
       9 . The toy skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein the wheels of said rear truck have a high-friction surface and the wheels of said front truck have a low-friction surface. 
   
   
       10 . The toy skateboard of  claim 1 , wherein a rear skid plate is mounted to the underside of the rear portion of said deck, said skid plate comprising a surface located with respect to the wheels of the rear truck such that said surface and said wheels can simultaneously contact a planar support surface, and wherein the disposition of mass of the components of the skateboard is such that the skateboard can be stably balanced on the wheels of the rear truck and said skid plate. 
   
   
       11 . The toy skateboard of  claim 10 , wherein said skid plate defines a radiused surface.