U.S. patent application number 13/674998 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-15 for toy capable of flying and bouncing.
The applicant listed for this patent is Chia-Yen Lin. Invention is credited to Chia-Yen Lin.
Application Number | 20140134914 13/674998 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50682163 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140134914 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin; Chia-Yen |
May 15, 2014 |
TOY CAPABLE OF FLYING AND BOUNCING
Abstract
A toy capable of flying and bouncing includes a circular concave
disk body and a spherical elastic body disposed at a center of the
disk body. Two ends of the elastic body protrude out of a top
surface and beyond a bottom plane of the disk body. Thus, after
being thrown out, the disk body would fly in the air. After the
disk body lands, the elastic body hits the ground and begin to
bounce. An outer surface of the elastic body where the common axis
passes through comprises at least one projected portion extended
outward from the outer surface, such that the toy could spin and
balance on the projected portion.
Inventors: |
Lin; Chia-Yen; (Dongguan
City, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lin; Chia-Yen |
Dongguan City |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
50682163 |
Appl. No.: |
13/674998 |
Filed: |
November 13, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/46 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 33/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/46 |
International
Class: |
A63H 33/18 20060101
A63H033/18 |
Claims
1. A toy capable of flying and bouncing, comprising: a disk body
having a space disposed in a bottom thereof and a through hole
defined at a center thereof; and an elastic body having an inner
space, the elastic body fixed in the through hole of the disk body,
the elastic body protruding out of a top surface and beyond a
bottom plane of the disk body, a wall of the elastic body including
a valve to communicate the inner space with an exterior of the
elastic body.
2. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the
elastic body where a common axis of gravity of a combination of the
disk body and the elastic body passes through comprises at least
one projected portion extended outward from the outer surface.
3. The toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein the projected portion is
made of a material the same as that of the elastic body, and the
elastic body and the projected portion are integrally formed.
4. The toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein the projected portion is
made of a material different from that of the elastic body.
5. The toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein the projected portion is
made of a rigid material.
6. The toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein a free end of the
projected portion is a pointed end.
7. The toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein a free end of the
projected portion is a rounded end.
8. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic body
comprises a circumferential groove disposed on an outer surface
thereof, the circumferential groove is engaged with a periphery of
the through hole of the disk body by interference fit, thereby
fixing the elastic body in the through hole of the disk body.
9. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein a periphery of the
through hole of the disk body comprises an annular ridge and an
outer surface of the elastic body includes a circumferential
groove, the circumferential groove is engaged with the annular
ridge by interference fit, thereby fixing the elastic body in the
through hole of the disk body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a toy promoting
physical activities and providing fun, and in particular to a toy
which is capable of flying in the air, and bouncing and spinning on
the ground, thereby providing entertaining feature.
[0003] 2. The Prior Arts
[0004] A conventional frisbee is a circular concave disk having a
space disposed at a bottom thereof. When the frisbee is thrown out,
it flies in the air because of the lift force it generates when it
hits the oncoming air flow. When the Frisbee lands, it just simply
hit the ground and slide for a distance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a
toy, which flies in the air after being rotatably thrown out,
bounces on the ground after landing, and even spins like a spinning
top.
[0006] One of characteristics of the present invention is that an
elastic body is provided at a center of a disk body. Two ends of
the elastic body protrude out of a top surface and beyond a bottom
plane of the disk body, respectively. When the toy is thrown out,
the disk body generates a lift force to make the toy flying in the
air. After the toy landing, the lower end of the elastic body hits
the ground and the bounce occurs.
[0007] Another characteristics of the present invention is that an
outer surface of the elastic body is provided with at least one
projected portion extended outward from one end or two ends of a
central axes of the elastic body. When the flying disk body lands,
the elastic body hits the ground and spins by the projected
portion.
[0008] In order to achieve the objective, a toy capable of flying
and bouncing according to the present invention includes a disk
body and an elastic body. The concave disk body has a space
disposed at a bottom thereof and a through hole located at a center
thereof. The elastic body is fitted in the through hole and both
ends of the elastic body respectively protrude out of a top surface
and beyond a bottom plane of the disk body. Both of centers of
gravity of the elastic body and the disk body 1 are located on a
common axis of gravity of a combination of the disk body and the
elastic body. After the toy is rotatably thrown, lift is generated
by accelerating upper airflow due to the space disposed at the
bottom of the disk body so that a pressure difference gives rise to
a lifting force, thereby making the toy flying and spinning in the
air. After the disk body lands, the part of the elastic body that
protrudes beyond the bottom plane would hit the ground and
bounce.
[0009] According to an embodiment, an outer surface of the elastic
body may further include at least one projected portion extended
from one end or two ends of a central axis of the elastic body. The
projected portion may be an integral part with or a separated part
from the elastic body When the flying disk body lands and the
projected portion contacts with the ground, the projected portion
become the rotating axis of the spinning elastic body.
[0010] According to another embodiment, the elastic body is a
spherical member or a member shaped in other geometric shape.
[0011] According to still another embodiment, the projected portion
is made of a material the same as that of the elastic body, so that
the elastic body and the projected portion may be integrally
formed.
[0012] According to further still another embodiment, the projected
portion is made of a material different from that of the elastic
body, so that the projected portion is placed in a mold to be
connected with the elastic body that is made by injection
molding.
[0013] The projected portion may be made of a rigid material or an
elastic material. Free ends of the projected portion may include a
pointed end or a rounded end.
[0014] According to an embodiment, the elastic body includes a
circumferential groove disposed at an outer surface thereof. Thus,
a periphery of the through hole of the disk body is engaged with
the circumferential groove of the elastic body by interference fit,
thereby fixing the elastic body in the through hole of the disk
body.
[0015] According to another embodiment, a periphery of the through
hole of the disk body includes an annular ridge and an outer
surface of the elastic body includes a circumferential groove
corresponding to the annular ridge. Therefore, when the elastic
body is fitted into the disk body, the circumferential groove is
engaged with annular ridge by interference fit, thereby fixing the
elastic body in the through hole of the disk body.
[0016] The flying and bouncing toy according to the present
invention may be played as a conventional frisbee. Furthermore, the
toy may bounce on the ground and spin like a spinning top after
landing, which enhances the fun and increases the value of the
toy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in
the art by reading the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in
which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a toy capable of flying
and bouncing according to a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the toy according to
the first embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the toy according
to the first embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 4 is another cross sectional view showing the toy of
FIG. 3;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a toy capable of
flying and bouncing according to a second embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0023] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view showing a toy capable of
flying and bouncing according to a third embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1
to 3, a toy capable of flying and bouncing according to a first
embodiment of the present invention includes a disk body 1 and an
elastic body 2. The disk body 1 is preferred to be a circular
concave disk and has a space 10 disposed in a bottom thereof. The
disk body 1 includes a top surface 11 located on a top thereof and
a bottom plane 12 defined on the bottom thereof. An axial through
hole 13 is located at a center of the disk body 1 and penetrates
through the top surface 11. According to the first embodiment, the
through hole 13 is a circular hole. The through hole 13 may also be
shaped in other geometric shapes, such as a triangle, a rectangle,
a pentagon and a hexagon. According to the first embodiment, the
disk body 1 is made by plastic injection molding to form the
circular concave disk which is similar to a regular frisbee.
[0025] The elastic body 2 may be shaped in a sphere or any other
geometric form. According to the first embodiment, the elastic body
2 is a spherical member. The spherical elastic body is made of an
elastic material, such as polyurethane (PU). The elastic body 2 may
be a solid member or a hollow member having an inner space 20. When
the elastic body 2 is a hollow member, the elastic body 2 further
includes a valve 23 disposed at a wall thereof. The valve 23 is
adapted for communicate the inner space 20 with an exterior of the
elastic body 2, such that a fluid (water, oil or air) may be
injected into the inner space 20 to inflate the elastic body 2.
[0026] The elastic body 2 is assembled in the through hole 13 of
the disk body 1, such that a top end of the elastic body 2
protrudes out of the top surface 11 and a bottom end of the elastic
body 2 protrudes beyond the bottom plane 12. In order to securely
assemble the spherical elastic body 2 in the circular through hole
13 of the disk body 1, a periphery of the through hole 13 may be
provided with an annular ridge 131 and the wall of the elastic body
2 includes a circumferential groove 22 corresponding to the annular
ridge 131. Therefore, when the elastic body 2 is forced to be
fitted into the through hole 13, the annular ridge 131 is engaged
with the circumferential groove 22, thereby securely fixing the
elastic body 2 in the through hole 13 of the disk body 1. When the
elastic body 2 is a hollow member, the elastic body 2 is placed in
the through hole 13 and then the elastic body 2 is inflated by
injecting air or liquid through the valve 23 into the elastic body
2. Because of the increased volume of the inflated elastic body 2,
the annular ridge 131 is engaged with the circumferential groove 22
by interference fit (as shown in FIG. 4). After the elastic body 2
is assembled with the disk body 1, both of centers of gravity of
the elastic body 2 and the disk body 1 are located on a common axis
of gravity X of a combination of the disk body 1 and the elastic
body 2.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 5, a disk body 1 and an elastic body 2
according to a second embodiment is similar to those of the first
embodiment. An outer surface of the elastic body 2 includes a
circumferential groove 22, but a periphery of the through hole 13
is not provided with any annular ridge. Thus, the circumferential
groove 22 of the elastic body 2 is directly engaged with the
periphery of the through hole 13 of the disk body 1 by interference
fit. When the elastic body 2 is a hollow member, the elastic body 2
is placed in the through hole 13 and then the elastic body 2 is
inflated by injecting air or liquid through the valve 23 into the
elastic body 2. Because the elastic body 2 is inflated, the
periphery of the through hole 13 is engaged with the
circumferential groove 22 by interference fit as shown in FIG.
5.
[0028] A user may rotatably throw the toy capable of flying and
bouncing according to the present invention in the air just like
playing a regular frisbee. After the toy is tossed, lift is
generated by accelerating upper airflow so that a pressure
difference gives rise to a lifting force, thereby making the toy
flying and spinning in the air. Because the bottom end of the
elastic body 2 protrudes beyond the bottom plane 12, the elastic
body 2 would bounce on the ground and even spin like a spinning top
after landing. When the elastic body 2 spins, the elastic body 2
drives the disk body 1 to rotate simultaneously.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 6, a toy capable of flying and bouncing
according to a third embodiment of the present invention includes a
disk body 1 and an elastic body 2. Preferably, the disk body 1 is
shaped in a circular concave disk having a space 10 disposed in a
bottom thereof. The disk body 1 includes a top surface 11 disposed
on a top thereof and a bottom plane 12 defined on a bottom thereof.
An axial through hole 13 is located at a center of the disk body 1
and penetrates through the disk body 1. The through hole 13 of the
disk body 1 according to the third embodiment is a circular hole.
The same as previous embodiments, the through hole 13 may also be
shaped in other geometric shapes. According to the third
embodiment, the disk body 1 is made by plastic injection molding to
form the circular concave disk.
[0030] The elastic body 2 may be shaped in a sphere or any other
geometric form. According to the third embodiment, the elastic body
2 is a spherical member. The spherical elastic body 2 is made of an
elastic material, such as polyurethane (PU). The elastic body 2 may
be a solid member or a hollow member having an inner space 20
disposed therein. When the elastic body 2 is a hollow member, a
valve 23 is further provided at a wall of the elastic body 2. The
valve 23 is adapted for communicate the inner space 20 with the
exterior of the elastic body 2, such that a fluid (water, oil or
air) may be injected into the inner space 20 to inflate the elastic
body 2. An outer surface of the elastic body 2 according to the
third embodiment includes two projected portion 21 extended outward
from two end of the central axes thereof, or includes only one
projected portion 21 extended outward from one end of the central
axes thereof. The projected portion 21 may be made of an elastic
material the same as that of the elastic body 2, and be integrally
formed with the elastic body 2 by plastic injection molding. The
projected portion 21 may also be made of a material different from
that of the elastic body 2. The projected portion 21 may be made of
a rigid material, such as metal and fiber reinforced plastics and
an elastic material, such as plastics and fibers. Free ends of the
projected portion 21 may include a pointed end or a rounded
end.
[0031] The elastic body 2 is assembled in the through hole 13 of
the disk body 1, such that the elastic body 2 is protruded out of
the top surface 11 and beyond the bottom plane 12 of the disk body
1. In order to fix the spherical elastic body 2 in the circular
through hole 13, the same as the first embodiment, a periphery of
the through hole 13 of the disk body 1 has an annular ridge 131 and
the outer surface of the elastic body 2 includes a circumferential
groove 22 corresponding to the annular ridge 131. Therefore, when
the elastic body 2 is forced to be fitted into the through hole 13
of the disk body 1, the annular ridge 131 is engaged with the
circumferential groove 22, thereby securely fixing the elastic body
2 in the through hole 13 of the disk body 1. When the elastic body
2 is a hollow member, the elastic body 2 is placed in the through
hole 13 and then the elastic body 2 is inflated by injecting air or
liquid through the valve 23 into the elastic body 2 until the
inflated elastic body 2 makes the annular ridge 131 be engaged with
the circumferential groove 22 by interference fit. After the
elastic body 2 is assembled with the disk body 1, both of centers
of gravity of the elastic body 2 and the disk body 1 are located on
a common axis of gravity X of a combination of the disk body 1 and
the elastic body 2. The at least one projected portion 21 is
located on the common axis of gravity X of the combination of the
disk body 1 and the elastic body 2.
[0032] A toy capable of flying and bouncing according to a fourth
embodiment include a disk body 1 and an elastic body 2. In the same
way as the second embodiment, an outer surface of the elastic body
2 includes a circumferential groove 22, but a periphery of the
through hole 13 is not provided with any annular ridge, such that
the circumferential groove 22 of the elastic body 2 is directly
engaged with the periphery of the through hole 13 by interference
fit. When the elastic body 2 is a hollow member, the elastic body 2
is placed in the through hole 13 and then the elastic body 2 is
inflated by injecting air or liquid through the valve 23 into the
elastic body 2. The elastic body 2 is inflated and therefore the
periphery of the through hole 13 is engaged with the
circumferential groove 22 by interference fit.
[0033] A user may throw the toy capable of flying and bouncing
according to the third or fourth embodiment just like a frisbee. A
lift force is generated and the toy according to the present
invention would fly and spin in the air. Because the bottom end of
the elastic body 2 protrudes beyond the bottom plane 12, the
elastic body 2 would bounce on the ground after landing. The
elastic body 2 would even spin on the common axis of gravity X and
balance on the projected portion 21. When the elastic body 2 spins,
the disk body 1 is driven by the elastic body 2 to rotate
together.
[0034] The toy capable of flying and bouncing according to the
present invention can fly like a regular Frisbee, bounce on the
ground and spin like a spinning top, which increases the fun and
value of the toy.
[0035] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to
those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and
changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present
invention which is intended to be defined by the appended
claims.
* * * * *