U.S. patent application number 10/075613 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-21 for entertainment device for skipping over a surface of water.
Invention is credited to Dunn, Jamie C..
Application Number | 20030157862 10/075613 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27732435 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030157862 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dunn, Jamie C. |
August 21, 2003 |
Entertainment device for skipping over a surface of water
Abstract
A toy that can be skipped over a surface of water and has a
coated top and bottom surface and an edge having a high coefficient
of friction.
Inventors: |
Dunn, Jamie C.; (Calgary,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JOHN J. ELNITSKI
225 SNOWBIRD LANE
BELLEFONTE
PA
16823
US
|
Family ID: |
27732435 |
Appl. No.: |
10/075613 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/46 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 33/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/46 |
International
Class: |
A63H 027/00 |
Claims
What I claim as my invention is:
1. A toy adapted to be thrown at a surface, said toy comprising: a
top surface, a bottom surface and sides joining said top and bottom
surfaces, said toy made from a material that has a density less
than the density of water, a first coating means for waterproofing
said toy, a second coating means for providing a roughened surface
to said toy.
2. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein an area where said sides
join said top and bottom surfaces is rounded.
3. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first coating means
covers all of said top and bottom surfaces and said sides.
4. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second coating
covers only a portion of said top surface, said bottom surface and
said sides.
5. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second coating
covers only said sides.
6. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second coating is a
coating having particles embedded therein.
7. The toy as claimed in claim 6, wherein said particles are
sand.
8. The toy as claimed in claim 6, wherein said particles are
pumice.
9. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said material is
foam.
10. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top and bottom
surfaces are substantially flat.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates, in general, to toys, and, in
particular, to a toy which can be skipped over the surface of
water.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] In the prior art various types of devices have been
proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,046 to Cosmopulos
discloses a game disk for skipping on water made from a material
with a density less than water and which has a notch at one edge
and auger faces oriented in different directions.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,997 to Glovak et al discloses a
hydroplaning disk which is heavier than water with a series of
discontinuities around the rim.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,885 to Morrow discloses a throwing disk
with a diameter being about six times the thickness of the
disk.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,954 to Panse et al discloses a throwing
disk in which the lower surface is an inverted frusto-conical
shape.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,082 to Hincke discloses a water skipping
device which is disk shaped and has an annular flexible edge.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,672 to Milzoff et al discloses a
flexible flying disk made of foam rubber and which has a core that
is internally stressed by a plurality of stitches.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,840 to Bustamante et al discloses a disk
having an ellipsoidal bottom surface, a top surface and a
deformable rim.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,486 to Graf discloses a disk having an
outwardly bulging plastic body with a hollow interior and a smooth
exterior surface.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,637 to McFarland discloses a flying disk
having a lower edge made of an abrasion resistant material and a
flexible tube within the disk provides a spring action for
maintaining the shape of the disk.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. Des. 345,586 to Hanna discloses a design for a
flexible flying disk toy.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,922 to Clark discloses a skipping toy
having a dome shaped body with a downwardly extending rim and a
circular insert positioned within the center of the rim.
[0013] Patent No. WO 96/14121 to Sneddon discloses disk shaped
throwing toy.
[0014] The publication from the Daily News discloses a disk that
glows in the dark.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention is directed to a toy that can be
skipped over a surface of water and has a coated top and bottom
surface and an edge having a high coefficient of friction.
[0016] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved toy for skipping over the surface of water.
[0017] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved toy with a surface coating to protect the body from
absorbing moisture.
[0018] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved toy with properties that will protect users from
injury.
[0019] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved toy with an edge of high coefficient of friction to
increase the flick of the wrist skipping characteristics, when
thrown by flicking the wrist.
[0020] These and other objects and advantages of the present
invention will be fully apparent from the following description,
when taken in connection with the annexed drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the present
invention.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a side view of the present invention showing one
form of a high coefficient of friction applied to the sides.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0025] Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1
shows the present invention 1. The present invention 1 is an
entertainment device for use, primarily, in water. The present
invention would be used in order to skip it over the surface of
water by throwing the device so it hits the surface of the water at
an angle so it will bounce off the surface at least once. This type
of game has been played in the past by skipping rocks off the
surface of the water, however, the use of rocks has serious
drawbacks. Since the rock is heavier than water, once the momentum
of the rock over the water stops, it sinks and can't be used again.
In addition, if there are people in the water, the rock could
strike them and cause injury.
[0026] In order to avoid these problems, the present invention has
been developed. The present invention 1 has a circular shape with a
top and bottom 2. The top and bottom surfaces are joined by side
edges 3 to form a disk shaped object. Where the top and bottom
surfaces 2 join the edges 3 the joint 4 is rounded , as shown in
FIG. 2, to present a smooth surface for handling and throwing by
the user and, also, to prevent any sharp edges that could cause
injury to someone who might accidentally be struck by the
device.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the device 1 has an interior 5 made from
a soft foam material, to prevent injury if it strikes someone.
Also, the foam interior 5 has a density that is less than the
density of water so the device will float. In this manner, a user
can throw the device at the surface of the water trying to make it
skip over the surface as many times as possible and when the
momentum of the device, over the water, stops the user can easily
retrieve it to throw it again, since it will float on top of the
water.
[0028] In addition, the device is provided with a waterproofing
coating 6 which covers the entire top and bottom 2 and the sides 3.
This coating will prevent the soft foam material of the core 5 from
absorbing water, which would cause it to sink and possibly prevent
the user from retrieving it.
[0029] In order to increase the user's grasp of the device 1 and to
thereby increase the velocity with which the user can throw the
device, the device can have a coating 7, as shown in FIG. 4. The
coating 7 can be anything that will increase the coefficient of
friction of the device. For example, the coating could be any
material that will adhere to the device and could include particles
such as, but not limited to, sand and pumice. Preferably the
coating 7 would be applied to the sides 3 so when the user grips
the sides of the device in preparation for throwing, his/her
fingers will have a firm secure grip. This will help the user to
propel the device with as much velocity as possible, thereby
increasing the distance the device can be thrown, and/or the number
of times the device can be skipped over the surface of the water.
It should be noted that the coating 7 can be any type of coating
that will increase the coefficient of friction, but it should not
interfere with the waterproof coating that helps prevent the device
from sinking.
[0030] In addition, the coating 7 can be applied only to the sides
3 as shown in FIG. 4, or it could also be applied to one of the top
or bottom. This would allow the user to hold the device so the
coated top or bottom is pointed down when it is thrown. The coated
to or bottom surface, along with the side 3 would then be sure to
strike the water. This would give the device increased striking
power when it hits the surface of the water which would increase
the number of times it will skip over the surface of the water. If
desired, the top and the bottom and the sides could be coated with
the coating 7 so the user will not have to hold the device so the
coating is down before throwing it.
[0031] The present invention allows a unique method of skipping the
device over the surface of the water. In addition, more than one
user can enter the water and the device can be thrown by one user
toward the other user without fear of injury. This will eliminate
the need for a single user to retrieve the device after he/she has
thrown it, which will increase the enjoyment of using the device.
In addition, the device can be used by teams to play games similar
to hockey or soccer. Also, since the device is made from a soft,
foam material , it can be used indoors by skipping it off hard
surfaces such as floors or tables.
[0032] Although the Entertainment Device for Skipping Over a
Surface of Water and the method of using the same according to the
present invention has been described in the foregoing specification
with considerable details, it is to be understood that
modifications may be made to the invention which do not exceed the
scope of the appended claims and modified forms of the present
invention done by others skilled in the art to which the invention
pertains will be considered infringements of this invention when
those modified forms fall within the claimed scope of this
invention.
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