Model driving machine, drive unit and model

Abstract

A four-legged model racing machine 150 that drives, for example, models 20 of horses for racing can make the legs of the models swing up and kick up. The models 20 each having a body and plural legs supporting the body move on a partition board 5 serving as a racetrack board. Each model 20 is driven for motions by a mobile drive unit 160 disposed under the partition board 5. The plural legs of the model 20 can swing back and forth. Magnets Mfl, Mfr, Mrl and Mrr are embedded in the leg tips of the plural legs, respectively, with one of the magnetic poles of each of the magnets Mfl, Mfr, Mrl and Mrr facing the underside of the leg tip (facing down). The drive unit 160 is provided with adjacently arranged plural magnet pairs mfl, mfr, mrl and mrr respectively corresponding to the leg tips of the legs and capable of reciprocating parallel to a running direction along the lower surface of the partition board 5. The paired magnets are arranged longitudinally with their magnetic poles respectively of different polarities facing upward. A reciprocating mechanism 180 drives the magnet pairs mfl, mfr, mrl and mrr for longitudinal reciprocation to make the plural legs swing by making the magnetic forces of the magnet pairs mfl, mfr, mrl and mrr act on the magnets Mfl, Mfr, Mrl and Mrr attached to the leg tips of the plural legs of the model 20.

1 . A model driving machine comprising: a partition board; a model having a body and plural legs supporting the body and being movable on the partition board; and a drive unit disposed under the partition board to operate the model:
 wherein the plural legs of the model are pivotally joined to the body so as to swing back and forth;   the plural legs have leg tips, respectively, each of the leg tips having a magnet attached thereto with one of magnetic poles thereof facing an underside of the leg tip; and   the drive unit includes:
 adjacently arranged plural magnet pairs respectively corresponding to the leg tips of the legs, the magnet pairs being movable back and forth along a lower surface of the partition board, each of the magnet pairs including front and rear magnets adjacently arranged longitudinally with magnetic poles thereof respectively of different polarities facing upward; and 
 a reciprocating drive mechanism for driving the magnet pairs for longitudinal reciprocation to make the plural legs swing by making magnetic forces of the magnet pairs act on the magnets attached to the leg tips of the plural legs of the model. 
   
   
   
       2 . The model driving machine according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner one of the longitudinally arranged front and rear magnets of each of the magnet pairs is magnetized to have same polarity as that of the magnet in the corresponding leg tip, and an outer one of the front and rear magnets of each of the magnet pairs is magnetized to have opposite polarity to that of the magnet in the corresponding leg tip. 
   
   
       3 . The model driving machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive unit is movable by a moving mechanism. 
   
   
       4 . The model drive machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the reciprocating drive mechanism has guide slots for longitudinally guiding the plural magnet pairs and includes a crank mechanism connecting the magnet pairs and a drive means for driving the crank mechanism. 
   
   
       5 . A model driving machine comprising: a partition board; a model having a body and four legs supporting the body and being movable on the partition board; and a mobile drive unit disposed under the partition board to operate the model:
 wherein the four legs of the model are pivotally joined to the body so as to swing back and forth:   the four legs have leg tips, respectively, each of the leg tips having a magnet attached thereto with one of magnetic poles thereof facing an underside of the leg tip;   the mobile drive unit is movable under the partition board;   the mobile drive unit is provided with four magnet pairs adjacently arranged under the board, the four magnet pairs being reciprocatingly movable longitudinally and respectively corresponding to the four legs, each of the magnet pairs including front and rear magnets adjacently arranged longitudinally with magnetic poles thereof respectively of different polarities facing upward; and   the mobile drive unit includes a reciprocating drive mechanism for reciprocating the four magnet pairs longitudinally to make the four legs swing by making magnetic forces of the four magnet pairs act on the magnets attached to the leg tips of the four legs.   
   
   
       6 . The model drive machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the four legs include right and left forelegs and right and left hind legs; and
 the reciprocating drive mechanism is provided with a left front magnet pair, a right front magnet pair, a left rear magnet pair and a right rear magnet pair respectively corresponding to the left foreleg, the right foreleg, the left hind leg and the right hind leg, the reciprocating drive mechanism being operative to reciprocate the four magnet pairs such that the left front magnet pair and the right rear magnet pair move toward and away from each other, and the right front magnet pair and the left rear magnet pair move toward and away from each other.   
   
   
       7 . The model drive machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the reciprocating drive mechanism includes:
 a first cross linkage interlocking the left front magnet pair and the right rear magnet pair;   a second cross linkage interlocking the right front magnet pair and the left rear magnet pair;   a common pivotal pin pivotally joining the first and second cross linkages together in a mutually intersecting state;   a drive mechanism for rotationally driving the first and second cross linkages;   a first guide slot for guiding the left front magnet pair and the left rear magnet pair; and   a second guide slot for guiding the right front magnet pair and the right rear magnet pair, the second guide slot being parallel to the first guide slot.   
   
   
       8 . The model drive machine according to  claim 7 , wherein corresponding opposite end parts of the first and second guide slots are curved away from each other. 
   
   
       9 . A drive unit magnetically interlocked through a partition board with a model having a body and plural legs supporting the body and respectively having leg tips, said drive unit comprising:
 plural magnet pairs adjacently arranged under the partition board for longitudinal reciprocation so as to act on the leg tips of the plural legs of the model, each of the magnet pairs including front and rear magnets adjacently arranged longitudinally with magnetic poles thereof respectively of different polarities facing upward; and   a reciprocating drive mechanism for longitudinally reciprocating the plural magnet pairs.   
   
   
       10 . A model magnetically interlocked through a partition board with a drive unit and having a body and plural legs supporting the body, each of the legs including a thigh, a shank having a base end pivotally joined to an extremity of the thigh, and a leg tip pivotally joined to another extremity of the shank:
 wherein the thigh and the shank are connected by a bar link such that the thigh and the shank can turn relative to each other; and   a magnet on which magnetic force of the driving unit acts is attached to each of the leg tips with one of magnetic poles thereof facing an underside of the leg tip.