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

Abstract

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.

1 . A children's ride-on vehicle, comprising:
 a body having at least one seat sized for a child;   a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the body, wherein the plurality of wheels includes at least one driven wheel and at least one steerable wheel, wherein at least one of the plurality of wheels is a blow-molded wheel that comprises:
 a blow-molded wheel body having a tread surface and an axis, wherein the wheel body is configured to rotate about the axis, wherein the tread surface extends circumferentially around the wheel body, includes ground-contacting regions, and has 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, wherein the radial distance from the axis to the circumferential profile changes from a first radius to a second radius at a plurality of spaced-apart positions along the circumferential profile, wherein the second radius is larger than the first radius; 
   a steering assembly comprising a steering mechanism adapted to receive steering inputs from a child sitting on the at least one seat and a steering linkage adapted to convey the steering inputs to the at least one steerable wheel; and   a drive assembly adapted to selectively drive the rotation of the at least one driven wheel.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential profile includes a plurality of alternating first and second regions, each of the first regions having a uniform radius corresponding to the first radius and each of the second regions having a uniform radius corresponding to the second radius, wherein the circumferential profile further includes a plurality of transition regions extending between adjacent ones of the plurality of first regions and the plurality of second regions, and wherein the plurality of transition regions extend at an angle in the range of 30°-150° relative to the first and the second regions. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential profile includes a plurality of alternating first and second regions, each of the first regions having a uniform radius corresponding to the first radius and each of the second regions having a uniform radius corresponding to the second radius, wherein the at least one blow-molded wheel comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein at least one of the first and second regions extends from the first sidewall to the second sidewall. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential profile includes a plurality of alternating first and second regions, each of the first regions having a uniform radius corresponding to the first radius and each of the second regions having a uniform radius corresponding to the second radius, wherein the at least one blow-molded wheel comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and wherein the first and second regions extend from the first sidewall to the second sidewall. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential profile lies in a plane normal to the axis of the wheel body, and wherein the at least one blow-molded wheel comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein the plane containing the circumferential profile is centered between the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential profile lies in a plane normal to the axis of the wheel body, and wherein the circumferential profile is coplanar with a part line of the blow-molded wheel. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the tread surface includes a base surface and a plurality of tread blocks extending from the base surface. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly further comprises:
 a motor assembly comprising at least one electric motor; and   a battery assembly adapted to selectively energize the motor assembly;   wherein the drive assembly further comprises a speed control assembly, and further wherein the battery assembly is adapted to selectively energize the motor assembly responsive to inputs from the speed control assembly.   
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential profile is configured such that the at least one blow-molded wheel will slip against an obstacle having a height over a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one driven wheel and the at least one steerable wheel is the blow-molded wheel and the other of the at least one driven wheel and the at least one steerable wheel includes a circular ground-contacting surface. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one steerable wheel is the blow-molded wheel. 
     
     
         12 . A children's ride-on vehicle, comprising:
 a body having at least one seat sized for a child;   a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the body, wherein the plurality of wheels includes at least one driven wheel and at least one steerable wheel, wherein at least one of the plurality of wheels is a blow-molded wheel that comprises:
 a blow-molded wheel body having a tread surface and an axis, wherein the wheel body is configured to rotate about the axis, the tread surface extends around a circumference of the wheel body, the tread surface includes ground-contacting regions, the tread surface has a maximum radius relative to the axis at each point around the circumference of the wheel body, and the maximum radius of the tread surface undulates around the circumference of the wheel body; 
   a steering assembly comprising a steering mechanism adapted to receive steering inputs from a child sitting on the at least one seat and a steering linkage adapted to convey the steering inputs to the at least one steerable wheel; and   a drive assembly adapted to selectively drive the rotation of the at least one driven wheel.   
     
     
         13 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the maximum radius of the tread surface periodically undulates between a first radius and a second radius larger than the first radius. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the points of the tread surface around the circumference of the wheel body that are disposed at a maximum radius relative to the axis are all disposed in a plane normal to the axis, and wherein the blow-molded wheel body comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and the plane is centered between the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the tread surface includes a base surface and a plurality of tread blocks extending from the base surface. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the drive assembly further comprises:
 a motor assembly comprising at least one electric motor; and   a battery assembly adapted to selectively energize the motor assembly;   wherein the drive assembly further comprises a speed control assembly, and further wherein the battery assembly is adapted to selectively energize the motor assembly responsive to inputs from the speed control assembly.   
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the undulation of the maximum radius of the tread surface is configured such that the blow-molded wheel body will slip against an obstacle having a height over a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein one of the at least one driven wheel and the at least one steerable wheel is the blow-molded wheel and the other of the at least one driven wheel and the at least one steerable wheel includes a circular ground-contacting surface. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one steerable wheel is the blow-molded wheel. 
     
     
         20 . A children's ride-on vehicle, comprising:
 a body having at least one seat sized for a child;   a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the body, each wheel comprising a blow-molded wheel body, wherein the plurality of wheels includes at least one driven wheel and at least one steerable wheel, wherein the at least one driven wheel does not include a circular ground-contacting surface, and wherein the at least one steerable wheel includes a circular ground-contacting surface;   a steering assembly comprising a steering mechanism adapted to receive steering inputs from a child sitting on the at least one seat and a steering linkage adapted to convey the steering inputs to the at least one steerable wheel; and   a drive assembly including a battery-powered motor assembly adapted to selectively drive rotation of the at least one driven wheel.