Mattel, Inc.

Steven Robert Drosendahl

Gerald P Sitarski

Jeffrey W Reynolds

Kurt J Huntsberger

John Francis Rhein

Daniel J Damon

Daniel M Dignitti

Christopher Francis Lucas

Walter C Miazga

Stephen J Michalak

Douglas A Knight

Improved blow-molded wheels, methods for producing the same, and children's ride-on vehicles including the same are disclosed. The blow-molded wheels may include a blow-molded wheel body that is configured to rotate about an axis and has a tread surface that extends circumferentially around the wheel body and may have a circumferential profile that is defined as the locus of points at which the radial distance from the axis to the tread surface is greatest at each position around the circumference of the tread surface. The radial distance from the axis to the circumferential profile may change from a first radius to a second radius that is larger than the first radius at a plurality of spaced-apart positions along the circumferential profile. The method for producing the blow-molded wheels may include providing a mold with pinch-off rings that have an opening configured to form the circumferential profile.

Blow-molded wheels having undulating treads, methods for producing the same, and children's ride-on vehicles including the same

Battery charging assemblies for children's ride-on vehicles, and children's ride-on vehicles that include the same. The charging assemblies may include a power adapter that is adapted to be electrically connected to a power source, a charger cord, and a charging connector that is adapted to electrically interconnect with the rechargeable battery of the ride-on vehicle. The battery charging assemblies further include at least one protective element to prevent or significantly reduce backflow current from the battery into the battery charging assembly. The protective element may be located in the charging probe or at any point along the charger cord of the battery charging assembly. The protective element may include any suitable current-limiting or current-interrupting device. Examples of such current limiting devices include, without limitation, a fuse, a circuit breaker, an anti-backflow diode, and a resettable fuse such as a positive temperature coefficient resistor (PTC resistor).

Children's ride-on vehicle charging assemblies with back feed protection

Children's ride-on vehicles having improved motor assemblies. The vehicles are reduced-scale vehicles, often formed substantially from molded plastic, that are sized for use by children and which include battery-powered motor assemblies. The vehicles may include a noise-suppression device that is adapted to reduce electromagnetic noise, a cutoff device that is adapted to selectively restrict operation of the motor assembly, or both devices. In some embodiments, the cutoff device may be a temperature-sensitive cutoff device and/or a current-sensitive cutoff device. In some embodiments, the device is disposed within a motor housing provided with the vehicle.

Children's ride-on vehicles having improved motor assemblies

A steering assembly for a children's ride-on vehicle having a pair of wheels. The assembly includes a pair of pivotal control arms that are coupled to the pair of wheels. The pair of pivotal control arms is also coupled to a pair of moveable handles that operate in tandem and move reciprocally to steer the pair of wheels.

Steering assembly for children's ride on vehicles

A children's ride-on vehicle with a reduced scale chassis having a seat configured to accommodate at least one child. The vehicle further includes a drive assembly, which includes one or more drive wheels and a battery powered motor assembly. The battery powered motor assembly includes a motor output and a torque attenuation system, which is configured to regulate the transmission of torque from the motor assembly to the one or more drive wheels. The torque attenuation system incorporates a force reducing mechanism adapted to receive a rotational input from the motor output and regulate the transmission of that rotational input to the one or more drive wheels. In some embodiments of the invention, the torque attenuation system is a self-contained system, and in some embodiments of the invention, the torque attenuation system is adapted to be retrofit on existing children's ride-on vehicles.

Growing community of inventors

Orchard Park, NY, United States of America

Steven Robert Drosendahl