Toy power tool with swirling sawdust

Abstract

A toy power tool simulates the action of sawdust or other shavings generated by action of an adult power tool. The toy has a housing with a shape that resembles the shape of an adult power tool, such as a circular saw, and a chamber, which preferably is transparent or translucent, with a plurality of particles that represent the shavings, sawdust or other waste generated by that tool contained within the chamber. The toy has a movable element that corresponds to an element of an actual adult power tool that moves when the tool is operating. When the tool is activated to drive the movable element of the toy, the element moves, rotating or translatably oscillating, for example, and thereby agitates the simulated particles to simulate the operation of an adult power tool.

1 . A toy power tool, comprising a housing having a chamber that contains a plurality of particles having the appearance of particles typically produced by operation of an adult power tool of the same type as the toy power tool, and means for agitating the particles within the chamber to simulate operation of a power tool independently of movement of the power tool.  
   
   
       2 . A toy power tool as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the chamber has a wall that is at least partially transparent.  
   
   
       3 . A toy power tool as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the means for agitating includes an element that resembles an element of the adult power tool and that moves relative to the chamber to agitate the particles.  
   
   
       4 . A toy power tool as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the element is rotatable  
   
   
       5 . A toy power tool as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the rotating element resembles one of a generally circular saw blade and a drill bit.  
   
   
       6 . A toy power tool as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shape of the housing resembles one of the following power tools: table saw, portable drill or portable circular saw.  
   
   
       7 . A toy power tool as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the particles are plastic and resemble sawdust.  
   
   
       8 . A method of simulating operation of an adult power tool in a toy power tool comprising the steps of: 
 agitating a plurality of particles contained within a chamber having a wall that is at least partially transparent independently of movement of the power tool, the particles having the appearance of particles typically produced by the operation of an adult power tool of the same type to simulate operation of a power tool.    
   
   
       9 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the agitating step includes at least one of blowing, striking and vibrating the particles.  
   
   
       10 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the agitating step includes moving the particles in a generally circular path.  
   
   
       11 . A toy table saw, comprising a tabletop surface and a saw assembly, the saw assembly including a housing with a chamber that contains a plurality of particles having the appearance of particles typically produced by operation of an adult table saw of the same type as the toy table saw, at least a portion of the chamber being transparent or translucent, and a simulated saw blade rotatably mounted in the housing for agitating the particles within the chamber to simulate operation of an adult table saw, the saw assembly being mounted such that the simulated saw blade extends above the tabletop surface.  
   
   
       12 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the chamber has an enlarged portion that resembles a blade guard that extends over a distal end of the simulated saw blade.  
   
   
       13 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the blade guard portion of the chamber is spaced from the tabletop surface.  
   
   
       14 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the simulated saw blade rotates about an axis that is generally parallel to the tabletop surface.  
   
   
       15 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 11 , further includes a motion generator for manually driving the simulated saw blade to agitate the particles as the simulated saw blade rotates.  
   
   
       16 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein motion generator includes a roller that extends through the housing and a linkage connecting the roller to the simulated saw blade.  
   
   
       17 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the particles are plastic and resemble sawdust.  
   
   
       18 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 11 , in combination with a workpiece that represents a piece of wood to be cut, the workpiece having two parts connected along a cut line and means for releasably securing the parts together.  
   
   
       19 . A toy table saw as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the means releasably securing the parts of the workpiece includes magnets or hook-and-loop fasteners.  
   
   
       20 . A method of using a toy table saw having a table top surface with a simulated saw blade extending above the table top surface and a chamber representing a blade guard extending over a distal end of the simulated saw blade, the blade guard chamber containing a plurality of particles that have the appearance of sawdust typically produced by operation of an adult table saw, comprising the steps of: 
 moving a workpiece having two parts detachably connected along a cut line toward a simulated saw blade as though to engage the saw blade with the workpiece;    separating the workpiece into its two parts along the cut line to simulate cutting the workpiece with the simulated saw blade; and    agitating the particles within the blade guard chamber to simulate a cutting operation of the simulated saw blade.