Booster Mechanism for Toy Vehicle Track Set

Abstract

A booster mechanism that can be wound or loaded for successive boosts of toy vehicles is disclosed. The booster mechanism includes multiple spaced apart booster arms that engage toy vehicles that activate the booster mechanism.

1 . A toy vehicle track set, comprising:
 a track along which a toy vehicle can travel; and   a booster mechanism coupled to the track, the booster mechanism including a body mounted for complete rotation about an axis, the body including a plurality of booster arms, each of the plurality of booster arms is configured to engage a toy vehicle, the body being windable against a biasing mechanism to a loaded position so that each time the booster mechanism is actuated by a toy vehicle, the body rotates a partial rotation about the axis away from the loaded position so that one of the booster arms engages and propels the actuating toy vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the track forms a closed loop. 
     
     
         3 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the track includes a turn and the booster mechanism is coupled to the track proximate the turn so that each booster arm can at least partially extend into the turn to engage and propel a toy vehicle around the turn. 
     
     
         4 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the partial rotation is one-third of a rotation. 
     
     
         5 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the loaded position is a first loaded position and the body is configured to partially rotate from the first loaded position to a second loaded position upon being actuated by a toy vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 5 , wherein the body remains, at least momentarily, in the second loaded position until the booster mechanism is once again actuated by a toy vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the booster arms further include engaging members increasing the contact area between the booster arms and an actuating toy vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a spring. 
     
     
         9 . The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hand crank configured to wind the body against the biasing member.   
     
     
         10 . A toy vehicle booster coupled to a track, comprising:
 a base portion;   a booster member rotatably coupled to the base portion, the booster member being configured to move 360 degrees relative to the base portion, the booster member including a plurality of engaging portions, each of the engaging portions being configured to engage a toy vehicle; and   an indexing mechanism coupled to the booster member, the indexing mechanism permitting the booster member to rotate only a partial rotation repeatedly in response to actuation of the booster by the toy vehicle.   
     
     
         11 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 10 , wherein the toy vehicle is a first toy vehicle and the booster member is configured to engage and be actuated by sequential toy vehicles. 
     
     
         12 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 10 , wherein the indexing mechanism includes at least one catch configured to selectively stop the rotation of the booster member. 
     
     
         13 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one catch includes three catches disposed at equal intervals about the base. 
     
     
         14 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 10 , wherein the partial rotation is one-third of a rotation. 
     
     
         15 . A toy vehicle booster coupled to a track, comprising:
 a base portion;   a booster member rotatably coupled to the base portion, the booster member being configured to move 360 degrees relative to the base portion, the booster member including a plurality of engaging portions,   a biasing member coupled to the booster member, the biasing member biasing the booster member toward a rest position, and   a catch engageable with the booster member to stop the booster member during its rotation after actuation by a toy vehicle so that the booster member rotates only a partial rotation.   
     
     
         16 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 15 , wherein the rest position is a first rest position and the biasing member is configured to bias the booster member to one of the first rest position, a second rest position, or a third rest position. 
     
     
         17 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of engaging portions engages a toy vehicle during partial rotation. 
     
     
         18 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a hand crank configured to transfer potential energy to the biasing member.   
     
     
         19 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 18 , wherein each rotation of the hand crank imparts enough energy to the biasing member to allow three partial rotations to the booster member. 
     
     
         20 . The toy vehicle booster of  claim 18 , wherein the hand crank is rotated in a first direction and the booster member rotates in a second and opposite direction.