1. A race track for toy vehicles, including:
a plurality track sections; and
a plurality of elastic connectors that join the track sections in a first, stored configuration and automatically arrange the track sections in a second in use configuration.
2. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein the elastic connectors are elastic bands.
3. The race track as set forth in claim 2, wherein each track section includes at least one projection and each elastic band is positioned around at least one projection.
4. The race track as set forth in claim 3, wherein at least one elastic band is positioned around at least one projection on two adjacent track segments.
5. The race track as set forth in claim 4, further including at least one member for retaining the elastic band one the projections.
6. The race track as set forth in claim 5, wherein the retaining member is located between the projections on adjacent track sections.
7. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein each track section has a first end having a tab and a second end having a channel.
8. The race track as set forth in claim 7, wherein the tab of one track section mates with the channel of an adjacent track section when the sections are in the in use configuration.
9. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein the elastic connectors are under tension when the track sections are in the stored configuration and at least one elastic connector is under less tension when the track sections are in the in use configuration.
10. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein each track section has a first side and a second side and at least one elastic connector is located on the first side of each track section and at least one elastic connector is located on the second side of each track section.
11. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein each track section includes a first end and a second end and the elastic connectors are located between the ends of adjacent track sections.
12. The race track as set forth in claim 11, wherein each track section further includes and upper surface and at least a portion of the elastic connectors are coplanar with the upper surfaces of the track sections.
13. The race track as set forth in claim 12, wherein at least two adjacent track sections and the connector joining them include a guide.
14. The race track as set forth in claim 11, wherein the elastic connectors are under tension when the track sections are in the stored configuration and at least one elastic connector is under less tension when the track sections are in the in use configuration.
15. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein the elastic connectors and the track sections have substantially identical cross sections.
16. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein each track section has a first side and a second side and a plurality of fasteners attach the elastic connectors to the sides of the track sections.
17. The race track as set forth in claim 16, wherein each track section has a first end having a tab and a second end having a channel.
18. The race track as set forth in claim 17, wherein the tab of one track section mates with the channel of an adjacent track section when the sections are in the in use configuration.
19. The race track as set forth in claim 16, wherein the elastic connectors are under tension when the track sections are in the stored configuration and at least one elastic connector is under less tension when the track sections are in the in use configuration.
20. The race track as set forth in claim 1, wherein the track sections include substantially tubular members and each elastic connector is located at least partially within one of the tubular members.
21. The race track as set forth in claim 20, wherein each track section has a first end having a tab and a second end having a channel.
22. The race track as set forth in claim 21, wherein the tab of one track section mates with the channel of an adjacent track section when the sections are in the in use configuration.
23. The race track as set forth in claim 20, wherein the elastic connectors are under tension when the track sections are in the stored configuration and at least one elastic connector is under less tension when the track sections are in the in use configuration.
24. A race track for toy vehicles, including:
a plurality of sections of track; and
means for connecting the sections of track in a storage configuration and for biasing the sections of track into an in use configuration.
25. The race track as set forth in claim 24, wherein the means for connecting and biasing includes at least one elastic member.
26. The race track as set forth in claim 24, wherein the means for connecting and biasing includes at least one elastic band.
27. The race track as set forth in claim 24, wherein each section of track has a first end and a second end and the means for connecting and biasing are located between the first and second ends of adjacent track sections.
28. The race track as set forth in claim 24, wherein each section of track has a first side and a second side and the means for connecting and biasing are located on the sides of the track sections.
29. The race track as set forth in claim 24, wherein each section of track has at least one tubular member and the means for connecting and biasing are located at least partially within the tubular members.
30. A race track for toy vehicles, including:
a plurality track sections, each track section having a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an upper surface and a lower surface;
a plurality of projections located on the sides of the track sections:
a plurality of elastic members positioned around the projections;
a plurality of members located between the projections for retaining the elastic members on the projections;
a tab located adjacent the first end of each of the track sections; and
a channel located adjacent the second end of each of the track sections.
31. The race track as set forth in claim 30, wherein the elastic members are under tension when the track sections are in a stored configuration and at least one elastic member is under less tension when the track sections are in an in use configuration.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A liquid supply unit mountable to and demountable from an attachment structure comprising a bottom wall, a side wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall, an end wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall and the side wall and an electrode assembly provided at a position opposed to the end wall, the liquid supply unit comprising:
a first surface member;
a second surface member;
a third surface member; and
a contact portion,
wherein in an attachment state in which the liquid supply unit is attached to the attachment structure, the first surface member faces the bottom wall, the second surface member faces the side wall, the third surface member faces the end wall, and the contact portion is electrically connectable with the electrode assembly,
wherein the second surface member has a restriction portion configured to restrict a distance of friction of the contact portion against the electrode assembly in the course of attachment of the liquid supply unit to the attachment state
wherein the restriction portion is a first convex protruding outward from the second surface member, and the first convex is arranged to come into contact with a wall surface part of the side wall which is extended in a direction of intersecting with the first surface member and the second surface member in the attachment state and thereby restrict a change in attitude of the liquid supply unit against the attachment structure,
wherein the third surface member has an engagement portion configured to be engneable with the end wall and to restrict the change in attitude of the liquid supply unit against the attachment structure in the course of attachment, and the first convex is arranged to come into contact with an inclined wall surface of the side wall inclined with respect to the bottom wall after engagement of the engagement portion with the end wall and thereby start friction of the contact portion against the electrode assembly, and
wherein an angle of the inclined wall surface with respect to the bottom wall is set equal to an angle of the contact portion in a direction of coming into contact with the electrode assembly with respect to the bottom wall and the first convex is arranged such that a direction in which the first convex is in friction with the inclined wall surface after coming into contact with the inclined wall surface is equal to a direction in which the contact portion approaches to the electrode assembly.
2. The liquid supply unit according to claim 1,
wherein the restriction portion restricts a direction in which the contact portion comes into contact with the electrode assembly in the course of attachment.
3. A liquid supply unit mountable to and demountable from an attachment structure comprised a bottom wall, a side wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall, an end wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall and the side wall and an electrode assembly provided at a position opposed to the end wall, the liquid supply unit comprising:
a first surface member;
a second surface member;
a third surface member; and
a contact portion,
wherein in an attachment state in which the liquid supply unit is attached to the attachment structure, the first surface member faces the bottom wall, the second surface member faces the side wall, the third surface member faces the end wall and the contact portion is electrically connectable with the electrode assembly, wherein the second surface member has a restriction portion configured to restrict a distance of friction of the contact portion against the electrode assembly in the course of attachment of the liquid supply unit to the attachment state,
wherein the restriction portion is a first convex protruding outward from the second surface member, and the first convex is arranged to come into contact with a wall surface part of the side wall which is extended in a direction of intersecting with the first surface member and the second surface member in the attachment state and thereby restrict a change in attitude of the liquid supply unit against the attachment structure,
wherein the third surface member has an engagement portion configured to be engageable with the end wall and to restrict the change in attitude of the liquid supply unit against the attachment structure in the course of attachment and the first convex is arranged to come into contact with an inclined wall surface of the side wall inclined with respect to the bottom wall after engagement of the engagement portion with the end wall and thereby start friction of the contact portion against the electrode assembly, and
wherein the side wall has a perpendicular wall surface which is located closer to the bottom wall than the inclined wall surface and is arranged to be perpendicular to the bottom wall, and
the first convex is arranged to come into contact with the perpendicular wall surface after coming into contact with the inclined wall surface of the side wall and thereby keep the contact portion in contact with the electrode assembly.
4. A liquid supply unit mountable to and demountable from an attachment structure comprising a bottom wall, a side wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall, an end wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall and the side wall and an electrode assembly provided at a position opposed to the end wall, the liquid supply unit comprising:
a first surface member,
a second surface member;
a third surface member; and
a contact portion,
wherein in an attachment state in which the liquid unit is attached to attachment structure, the first surface member faces the bottom wall, the second surface member faces the side wall, the third surface member faces the end wall, and the contact portion is electrically connectable with the electrode assembly, wherein the second surface member has a restriction portion configured to restrict a distance of friction of the contact portion against the electrode assembly in the course of attachment of the liquid supply unit to the attachment state,
wherein the restriction portion is a first convex protruding outward from the second surface member, and the first convex is arranged to come into contact with a wall surface part of the side wall which is extended in a direction of intersecting with the first surface member and the second surface member in the attachment state and thereby restrict a change in attitude of the liquid supply unit against the attachment structure,
wherein the second surface member has a second convex protruding outward from the second surface member, and
the second convex is located closer to the third surface member than the first convex in a plan view of the liquid supply unit in a direction toward the second surface member.
5. A liquid supply unit mountable to and demountable from an attachment structure comprising a bottom wall, a side wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall, an end wall arranged to intersect with the bottom wall and the side wall and an electrode assembly provided at a position opposed to the end wall, the liquid supply unit comprising: a first surface member; a second surface member; a third surface member and a contact portion,
wherein in an attachment state that the liquid supply unit is attached to the attachment structure,
the first surface member faces the bottom wall,
the second surface member faces the side wall,
the third surface member faces the end wall, and
the contact portion is electrically connectable with the electrode assembly, wherein
the second surface member has a first convex and a second convex protruded outward from the second surface member,
the second convex is located closer to the third surface member than the first convex in a plan view of the liquid supply unit in a direction toward the second surface member,
the first convex is arranged to come into contact with a wall surface part of the side wall which is extended in a direction of intersecting with the first surface member and the second surface member in the attachment state and is configured to restrict a distance of friction of the contact portion against the electrode assembly in the course of attachment of the liquid supply unit to the attachment state, and
the second convex is arranged to come into contact with the side wall in the course of attachment and thereby guide attachment of the liquid supply unit.
6. The liquid supply unit according to claim 4,
wherein the second surface member has a third convex protruded outward from the second surface member, and
the third convex is located on an opposite side of the second convex across the first convex in the plan view of the liquid supply unit in the direction toward the second surface member.
7. The liquid supply unit according to claim 6,
wherein in the plan view of the liquid supply unit in the direction toward the second surface member, a distance from the first surface member to the second convex is greater than a distance from the first surface member to the third convex.
8. The liquid supply unit according to claim 7, further comprising:
a fourth surface member arranged to intersect with the first surface member and the third surface member and opposed to the second surface member;
a fifth surface member arranged to intersect with the first surface member, the second surface member and the fourth surface member and opposed to the third surface member; and
a sixth surface member arranged to intersect with the second surface member, the third surface member, the fourth surface member and the fifth surface member and opposed to the first surface member, wherein
the attachment structure has another side wall provided at a location opposed to the side wall and arranged to intersect with the bottom wall,
the fourth surface member has another first convex protruded outward from the fourth surface member and is arranged to face the another side wall in the attachment state,
the another first convex is arranged to come into contact with another wall surface part of the another side wall which is extended in a direction of intersecting with the first surface member and the fourth surface member in the attachment state and is configured to come into contact with the another wall surface part and thereby restrict a distance of friction of the contact portion against the electrode assembly in the course of attachment.