Adjustable toy launch vehicle

Abstract

A toy vehicle is adapted to be launched by an actuator. The toy vehicle includes a chassis, a biasing member and a device. The chassis has a cavity. The biasing member is disposed within the cavity. The device is removably engaged to the chassis for biasing the biasing member.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A toy vehicle adapted to be launched by an actuator, the toy vehicle comprising: 
 a chassis having a cavity;    a biasing member disposed within the cavity; and    a device removably engaged to the chassis for biasing the biasing member.    
     
     
         2 . The toy vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the device is a toy engine.  
     
     
         3 . The toy vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the toy engine is a first toy engine sized to bias the biasing member a first predetermined amount.  
     
     
         4 . The toy vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the toy engine is a second toy engine sized to bias the biasing member a second predetermined amount.  
     
     
         5 . The toy vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.  
     
     
         6 . The toy vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is removably engaged to the chassis for further biasing the biasing member.  
     
     
         7 . A toy vehicle adapted for receiving a removable device and for being launched by an actuator, the toy vehicle comprising; 
 a biasing member; and    a chassis having a first cavity for receiving the removable device and a second cavity, the biasing member substantially disposed within the second cavity, the removable device adapted to bias the biasing member.    
     
     
         8 . The toy vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the device is a toy engine.  
     
     
         9 . The toy vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the toy engine is a first toy engine sized to bias the biasing member a first predetermined amount.  
     
     
         10 . The toy vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the toy engine is a second toy engine sized to bias the biasing member a second predetermined amount.  
     
     
         11 . The toy vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.  
     
     
         12 . The toy vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the actuator is removably engaged to the chassis for further biasing the biasing member.  
     
     
         13 . An adjustable toy launch vehicle comprising: 
 a chassis having a longitudinally extending passage, the passage having first and second openings;    a biasing member substantially disposed within the passage, the biasing member having first and second ends; and    a biasing member loading device removably coupled to the chassis adjacent to the first opening of the passage, the loading device having a biasing member contact portion operably engaged to the first end of the biasing member, the loading device adjustably sized to displace the first end of the biasing member within the passage to one of at least two predefined distances.    
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 13  further comprising an actuator having an insertable portion and a base portion, the actuator releasably coupled to the chassis such that a predetermined length of the insertable portion removably extends through the second opening of the passage and releasably bears against the second end of the biasing member.  
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 13  wherein the loading device includes one of at least first and second interchangeable objects, wherein the first object when coupled to the chassis displaces the first end of the biasing member within the passage to a first predetermined distance, and wherein the second object when coupled to the chassis displaces the first end of the biasing member within the passage to a second predetermined distance.  
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 15  wherein the first and second objects are toy engines.  
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 13  wherein the loading device comprises an expandable single object positionable between at least a first position, in which the object has a first major dimension, and a second position, in which the object has a second major dimension greater than the first major dimension.  
     
     
         18 . The vehicle of  claim 13  wherein the biasing member comprises a helical spring.  
     
     
         19 . The vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein the actuator is in the shape of a key.  
     
     
         20 . The vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein the actuator has one of a detent and a resilient projection and wherein the chassis has the other of the detent and the resilient projection.  
     
     
         21 . The vehicle of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of an automobile and a motorcycle.  
     
     
         22 . A toy launch vehicle comprising: 
 a chassis having a longitudinally extending passage, the passage having first and second openings;    a biasing member generally disposed within the passage, the biasing member having first and second ends;    one of at least first and second interchangeable objects removably coupled to the chassis, the first and second objects having first and second projections, respectively, for contacting the first end of the biasing member, the first projection displacing the first end of the biasing member to a first predetermined distance from the second opening of the passage, the second projection displacing the first end of the biasing member to a second predetermined distance from the second opening of the passage; and    an actuator releasably coupled to the chassis at the second opening of the passage, the actuator bearing against the second end of the biasing member.    
     
     
         23 . The vehicle of  claim 22  wherein the actuator comprises an insertable portion and a launch base portion, wherein the insertable portion is removably inserted into the passage to a third predetermined distance from the second opening, and wherein the insertable portion releasably bears against the second end of the biasing member.  
     
     
         24 . The vehicle of  claim 22  wherein the first and second interchangeable objects are toy engines.  
     
     
         25 . The vehicle of  claim 22  wherein the biasing member comprises a helical spring.  
     
     
         26 . The vehicle of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator is in the shape of a key.  
     
     
         27 . The vehicle of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator has one of a detent and a resilient projection and wherein the chassis has the other of the detent and the resilient projection.  
     
     
         28 . The vehicle of  claim 22 , wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of an automobile and a motorcycle.  
     
     
         29 . A toy launch vehicle system comprising: 
 a vehicle including: 
 a chassis having a longitudinally extending passage, the passage having first and second openings;  
 a biasing member generally disposed within the passage, the biasing member having first and second ends; and  
   first and second toy engines interchangeably and removably coupled to the chassis, the first and second toy engines configured to contact and position the first end of the biasing member to first and second distances from the second opening of the passage, respectively;    an actuator configured to be releasably coupled to the chassis at the second opening of the passage and to bear against the second end of the biasing member; and    a storage container having at least two compartments, the storage container configured to selectably and removably retain the vehicle, the actuator and at least one of the first and second interchangeable toy engines.    
     
     
         30 . The toy launch vehicle system of  claim 29  wherein the storage container is configured to resemble a tool box.  
     
     
         31 . The toy launch vehicle system of  claim 29  further comprising a chain coupled to the storage container at one end and having a connector at the other end.  
     
     
         32 . The toy launch vehicle system of  claim 29  wherein the biasing member is a helical spring.  
     
     
         33 . The toy launch vehicle system of  claim 29  wherein the actuator is in the shape of a key and includes a plug portion and a launch base portion.  
     
     
         34 . A tool shaped candy kit comprising: 
 a tool box having at least one storage compartment; and    a plurality of tool shaped pieces of candy disposed within the tool box.    
     
     
         35 . The kit of  claim 34  wherein the tool shaped pieces of candy are formed in a shape selected from the group consisting of a hammer, a screw driver, a wrench, a set of pliers and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         36 . The kit of  claim 34 , further comprising at least one drawer slidably coupled to the tool box.  
     
     
         37 . The kit of  claim 34 , wherein the tool box is formed in the shape of a conventional multi-drawer tool box.