Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to a magnetic levitation toy using magnetic force of permanent magnets which are mounted to rails and a toy car, respectively, and, more particularly, to a magnetic levitation toy which is constructed so that rails have band magnets on outer surfaces thereof, and a toy car has permanent magnets on a lower surface thereof to have the same polarity as the band magnets, and is placed on the rails. Thus, the toy car travels along a linear path while levitating just above the rails due to repulsive force between the band magnets of the rails and the permanent magnets mounted to the toy car.

Background Art

Generally, a toy train set is constructed so that a toy train linearly moves along a path which is defined by combining a plurality of rails and support units with each other. The rails comprise linear and curved rails, thus providing a turning or sloping section. Further, in a conventional toy with rails, a toy car is provided with wheels to roll on the rails. Thus, as the wheels roll, the toy car moves along the rails. Such a conventional toy train set may be constructed as follows. That is, the toy train set may be constructed like a roller coaster. In the toy train set of the roller coaster design, the toy train reaches an uppermost part of the rails which define a path, and then moves along the turning or sloping section of the rails by inertia. Further, the toy train set may be constructed so that a motor is installed in the toy train to drive the wheels of the toy train, and the toy train moves along tha rails by the motor which is operated by a current produced by a battery, or electricity supplied to the motor. The latter toy train set has a problem in that both the motor driving the wheels and the battery producing a current to operate the motor must be provided in a body of the toy train, so that the weight of the toy train is undesirably increased. Thus, the wheels of the toy train may be skidded, and the climbing capacity of the toy train may be deteriorated, due to the weight of the toy train, when the toy train moves along the sloping section of the rails, and the toy train may not smoothly move. Further, in order to support the heavy elements in the body of the toy train, an additional support unit must be installed in the body, so that it is complicated to manufacture the toy train, and manufacturing costs of the toy train set are undesirably increased. In the former toy train set, the wheels are mounted on both sides of a lower part of the toy train, and the toy train moves as the wheels roll on the rails. In a detailed description, the toy train reaches the uppermost part of the rails by the rolling of the wheels, and then moves along the rails by inertia. When the toy train stops movement executed by inertia, the toy train moves to an upper part of the rails by another drive unit, and continuously moves by a difference of a height of the rails. However, the toy train set has a problem in that a body or the wheels of the toy train move along the rails while being in contact with surfaces of the rails, so that the toy train cannot smoothly move at curved parts of the rails due to a sudden change in moving direction, and thereby both the wheels and the body of the toy train may be easily derailed. Further, the conventional toy train set is problematic in that the toy train set is marketed as a finished product, and the toy train is driven by a general power unit, so that the toy train set functions as only a simple toy without arousing curiosity in users, particularly, children.

Disclosure of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic levitation toy which is constructed so that rails have soft band magnets on outer surfaces thereof, and a toy car has permanent magnets on both sides of a lower surface thereof to have the same polarity as the band magnets, and is placed on the rails. In this case, the toy car travels along the rails while levitating just above the rails due to repulsive force between the band magnets attached to the rails and the permanent magnets mounted to the toy car, thus allowing the toy car to continuously move along the rails without any power transmission and to be operated according to principle of a magnet, therefore arousing curiosity in the user. In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a magnetic levitation toy, which includes rails to define a continuous linear path and a toy car to move along the rails. The rails have soft band magnets on outer surfaces thereof, and the toy car has a plurality of permanent magnets on both sides of a lower surface thereof to have polarity opposite to polarity of the band magnets. Further, the toy car is placed on the rails to move along the rails, thus continuously moving along the rails while levitating due to repulsive force between the band magnets and the permanent magnets. The rails comprise a pair of linear rails on a same plane, thus forming a path having a gentle curved section, a turning section, a sloping section, etc. The band magnet, having a north or south pole, is applied to or surrounds the outer surface of each rail. In this case, a power transmission unit, such as a chain, may be coupled to the rails to move the toy car to an uppermost part of the rails. The power transmission unit is provided with additional permanent magnets to guide the toy car which moves along the rails while levitating, to the uppermost part of the rails. Permanent magnets are attached on both sides of a lower surface of the toy car to have the same polarity as the band magnets of the rails. Further, a power transmitting magnet, which has a polarity different from the permanent magnets of the power transmitting unit, is provided on a center of a front portion of the lower surface of the toy car. In the magnetic levitation toy of this invention, while the toy car moves along the rails with the band magnets, the toy car moves to the uppermost part of the rails by a magnetic force of the power transmission unit which is provided at a predetermined position of a sloping section. When the toy car reaches the uppermost part, the magnetic force of the power transmission unit is released, so that the free felling of the toy car occurs, and the toy car moves along the rails while levitating above the rails by inertia.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view to show a part of the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toy car included in the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toy car shown in a direction different from FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the toy car, according to the present invention; FTG. 6 is a sectional view of the toy car, when the toy car moves along a sloping section of the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention; and FlG. 7 is a sectional view of the toy car, when the toy car moves along rails of the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention, FlG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view to show a part of the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention, FlG. 3 is a perspective view of a toy car included in the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention, FlG 4 is a perspective view of the toy car shown in a direction different from FlG. 3, and FIG 5 is a bottom view of the toy car, according to the present invention As shown in the drawings, a magnetic levitation toy 10 of this invention includes a pair of rails 11, a power transmission unit 16, and a toy car 20. The rails 11 define a continuous asymmetric linear path, with band magnets 12 having a property of attracting iron and provided on outer surfaces of the rails 11. The power transmission unit 16 is coupled to drive gears 15 driven by a motor 14, and rotates while forming a longitudinal track. In this case, the motor 14 is mounted to a predetermined position of a sloping section 13 of the rails 11. Further, the toy car 20 moves to an uppermost part of the rails 11 by the power transmission unit 16, and moves along the rails 11 while levitating above the rails 11 by magnetic force. Permanent magnets 22 are longitudinally provided on both sides on a lower surface of the toy car 20 to have the same polarity as the band magnets 12 of the rails 11. Further, a clip-shaped rail holding unit 21 is provided at a position adjacent to each of opposite ends of each permanent magnet 22. A roller 25 is provided on an inner surface of each of a lower part and a side part of each rail holding unit 21 , to rotate when the toy car 20 moves along the rails 11. When the toy car 20 moves along the rails 11, the rollers 25, surrounding side parts and lower parts of the rails 11, are rolled whenever the rollers 25 come into contact with the rails 11, thus allowing the toy car 20 to smoothly move while maintaining a balance between the band magnets 12 of the outer surfaces of the rails 11 and the permanent magnets 22 of the lower surface of the toy car 20. In this case, the rails 11 are secured in the rail holding units 21 of the toy car 20, and the toy car 20 levitates above the rails 11, due to repulsive force between the band magnets 12 of the rails 11 and the permanent magnets 22 provided on the lower surface of the toy car 20 to be placed between front and rear rail holding units 21. Further, another permanent magnet 23 is provided at a center of a front portion on the lower surface of the toy car 20. The permanent magnet 23 is attached to the power transmission magnets 16a of the power transmission unit 16 which are provided on the sloping section 13 of the rails 11, so that the toy car 20 moves to the uppermost part of the rails 11 by the power transmission unit 16, such as a chain, which is operated by the drive gears 15. The permanent magnet 23 and the power transmission magnets 16a provided in the power transmission unit 16 are arranged so that feeing surfaces of the permanent magnet 23 and the power transmission magnets 16a have opposite polarities, thus attractive force occurs between the permanent magnet 23 and the power transmission magnets 16a. Further, the toy car 20 includes a front panel 24. The front rail holding units 21 are provided on both sides of the front panel 24. Further, a rotary coupling boh 26 having a cylindrical shape is provided at a center of a rear surface of the front panel 24 so that the front panel 24 rotates within a predetermined angular range. The rotary coupling boh 26 is inserted into a boh insert hole 25 provided at a predetermined position of the toy car 20. When the toy car 20 moves along the rails 11, the front panel 24 rotates around the rotary coupling boh 26, thus allowing a moving direction of the toy car 20 to be smoothly changed, and thereby preventing the toy car 20 from being derailed. According to the present invention, the toy car 20 moves along the rails 11 while levitating above the rails 11. For the levitation of the toy car 20, the band magnets 12, such as a rubber magnet containing an elastic material, are attached to the outer surfaces of the rails 11, thus causing the toy car 20 to levitate by the magnetic force of the band magnets 12. In a detailed description, the toy car 20 levitates above the rails 11 due to the repulsive force between the permanent magnets 22 provided on both sides of the lower surface of the toy car 20, other permanent magnets 28 provided around the corresponding rail holding units 21, and the band magnets 12 of the rails 11. In order to raise the toy car 20 to the uppermost part of the path defined by continuously coupling the rails 11, the power transmission unit 16, such as the chain, is circulated on the sloping section 13 by the drive gears 15. In this case, an end of the sloping section 13 forms the uppermost point of the path. The power transmission magnets 16a are arranged in the power transmission unit 16 at regular intervals. When the power Iransmission magnets 16a of the power transmission unit 16 approach the permanent magnet 23 attached to the lower surface of the front portion of the toy car 20 moving along the rails 11 by inertia, the power transmission magnets 16a are attached to the permanent magnet 23 due to the attractive force between the power transmission magnets 16a and the permanent magnet 23 which have opposite polarities. Thus, the toy car 20 is magnetically attached to the power transmission unit 16, thus moving to the uppermost part of the sloping section 13 while levitating above the rails 11. The operation of the magnetic levitation toy constructed as described above and the levitation principal of the toy car will be described in the following with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the toy car, when the toy car moves along a sloping section of the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the toy car, when the toy car moves along the rails of the magnetic levitation toy, according to the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the magnetic levitation toy of this invention is operated as follows. That is, the toy car 20 moves along the rails 11 while levitating above the rails 11 by inertia, and is raised to the uppermost part of the rails 11 by the power transmission unit 16 provided on the sloping section 13. At this time, the toy car 20 moving along the sloping section 13 by the power transmission unit 16 is raised to the uppermost part of the sloping section 13, by the magnetic action between the permanent magnet 23 provided on the lower surface of the front portion of the toy car 20 and the power transmission magnets 16a arranged in the power transmission unit 16, as shown in FIG. 6. When the toy car 20 reaches the uppermost part of the rails 11, the maximum potential energy is produced. Further, the power transmission magnets 16a of the power transmission unit 16 circulating along the sloping section 13 are detached from the permanent magnet 23 of the toy car 20. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the toy car 20 moves along the rails 11 while levitating above the rails 11 by a height difference of the rails 11.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention provides a magnetic levitation toy which is constructed so that soft band magnets are attached to outer surfaces of continuous rails, and permanent magnets having the same polarity as the band magnets are attached to both sides on a lower surface of a toy car, thus allowing the toy car to move along the rails while levitating above the rails due to repulsive force between the band magnets provided on the rails and the permanent magnets provided on the toy car, therefore allowing the toy car to continuously move along the rails without any power transmission and allowing the toy car to move according to principle of a magnet to arouse curiosity in the user. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.