CHILDREN'S RIDE-ON VEHICLES AND PLAY SYSTEMS INCORPORATING WHEEL AND TRACK ASSEMBLIES

摘要

Play systems of the present disclosure comprise a children's ride-on vehicle and a companion track. The companion vehicle and track each include a guide surface that is complementary to the companion apparatus and configured to guide the vehicle along a path of travel defined by the track. The children's ride-on vehicle may be powered, steerable, and configured to operate on and off the track. When the children's ride-on vehicle is guided and/or steered along the path of travel, the complementary guide surfaces do not substantially impede progress of the vehicle. When the children's ride-on vehicle is guided and/or steered away from the path of travel, the complementary guide surfaces contact and/or frictionally engage to direct the vehicle along the path of travel and/or to slow progress of the vehicle.

主权项

1. A play system, comprising:
a track including a rail with a track guide surface; and a children's ride-on vehicle, including:
a reduced-scale vehicle body sized for a child and including a seat sized for a child;a plurality of wheels operatively coupled to the vehicle body, wherein the plurality of wheels includes a guide wheel that includes a wheel guide surface and a rim with a rolling surface; anda steering assembly coupled to one or more steerable wheels, wherein the guide wheel is a steerable wheel, and wherein the steering assembly is configured to translate steering inputs from a child sitting on the seat of the children's ride-on vehicle into directional changes of the one or more steerable wheels; wherein the track guide surface and the wheel guide surface are complementary to each other, configured to guide the children's ride-on vehicle along a path of travel defined by the track, and configured to inhibit separation of the children's ride-on vehicle from the track while the children's ride-on vehicle is operated by a child sitting on the seat; and wherein the children's ride-on vehicle is configured to frictionally engage the track guide surface with the wheel guide surface if the children's ride-on vehicle is steered away from the path of travel, and wherein the children's ride-on vehicle is configured to progress along the path of travel without significant frictional engagement of the wheel guide surface with the track guide surface if the children's ride-on vehicle is steered along the path of travel.