Method and device for open-loop speed control of an electric toy car

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for open-loop control of the speed of an electrically driven toy car on a lane-guided racetrack. By means of a hand-actuatable closed-loop control device, the speed of the toy car can be adjusted to at least two speed levels. To adjust the magnitude of the first speed level as a fraction of the second speed level, the closed-loop control device is preferably programmable so that via the open-loop control device, the speed of the toy car is adjusted between a zero position and the first speed level and, after actuation of a selection switch, the speed of the traveling toy is adjustable between the zero position and the second speed level. The invention permits the adjustment of partial speeds of a toy car on a racetrack without using a transformer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for open-loop control of the speed of an electrically driven toy car on a lane-guided racetrack, comprising: 
 programming a hand-actuatable closed loop control device to adjust the magnitude of a first speed level as a fraction of a second speed level,    programming an open loop control device to adjust the speed of the toy car between a zero position and the first speed level; and    providing a selection switch such that the speed of the toy is adjustable between the zero position and the second speed level after actuation of the selection switch.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to    claim 1   , wherein further speed levels are adjustable by further selection switches.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to    claim 1   , wherein the adjustment of a speed level is achieved by programming a microprocessor.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein the second speed level is reached only as long as the selection switch is simultaneously actuated.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein the magnitude of the speed levels is determined by manual actuation of function stages of a momentary-contact switch on the open-loop control device, the magnitude of the speed levels being stored by actuation of a separate switching means.  
     
     
         6 . A device for open-loop control of the speed of an electric toy car, comprising: 
 a closed-loop control device with a microprocessor for programming at least two speed levels of the toy car;    an open-loop control device that adjusts the speed of the toy car beginning from a zero position up to a selected speed level, and    a selection switch for selecting the speed level for the open-loop control device.    
     
     
         7 . A device according to    claim 6   , further comprising an input key on the closed loop control device for input of a selected magnitude of a speed level, wherein the selected magnitude of the speed level is stored by a separate switching means in a memory of the microprocessor.  
     
     
         8 . A device according to    claim 7   , wherein the toy car is controlled by the open-loop technique by pulse-width modulation, wherein a selected stored speed level represents a maximum achievable speed of the toy car with the open-loop control device via adjustment of the pulse-width modulation.