Buddy L Corporation

Hiroshi Hanazato

An open-front carton for packaging and displaying a toy vehicle, the carton having an internal locking device to prevent unauthorized withdrawal of the vehicle. The carton includes a back wall, a bottom wall and a platform elevated thereabove, the vehicle being snugly received within the carton so that its inner wheels lie adjacent the back wall, and its outer wheels lie adjacent the open front. The locking device is constituted by cooperating major and minor flaps. The major flap is cut out of the platform to define a leading edge and a fold line both parallel to the rear wall, the minor flap being cut out of the bottom wall to define a leading edge and a fold line both at right angles to the back wall. The major flap is provided at its middle with a transverse slot aligned with the minor flap fold line whereby when the minor flap is folded in, it engages and raises the major flap, the leading edge of the minor flap then entering the slot to maintain this flap in an upstanding position. The leading edge of the minor flap is notched to form a rest that is engaged by the raised major flap and acts to maintain this flap at an angle to the platform, thereby creating a barrier behind the inner wheels preventing removal of the vehicle from the carton.

Open-front carton for toy vehicle

A toy vehicle whose body is a replica of a high performance vehicle such as a 'Corvette,' the body resting on a standardized sub-assembly composed of a rectangular chassis carrying front and rear wheel sets, the chassis fitting into the underside of the body regardless of its design. The chassis is provided adjacent either end with slotted side bearings which accommodate the axles of the front and rear wheel sets. These axles are locked into place by a flexible latching strip having a constricted neck dividing the strip into a short head section terminating in a raised step from which projects an upwardly inclined prow and a long tail section terminating in a raised step. Anchored on the bed of the chassis is a pair of parallel rails which define a longitudinal guide for the strip, the rails having upper flanges thereon forming a narrowed inlet for the neck to permit the strip to be received between the rails at an initial position at which the head section is displaced from the front axle and the tail section overlies the rear axle. By pushing the flexible strip forward to its latching position, the prow is caused to ride over the front axle to lift the head section and permit the head step to engage this axle, at which point the tail step engages the rear axle, thereby retaining the axles within their bearings.

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Tokyo, Japan

Hiroshi Hanazato