STABILIZED FLYING DISC TOY
A stabilized flying disc toy may include an orthogonal tail portion operatively connected to a disc such that the disc may rotate independently of the tail portion. The tail portion may be removably coupled to the disc by a hub assembly.
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This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 and applicable foreign and international law of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/762,699 filed Feb. 8, 2013 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
INTRODUCTIONChildren of all ages enjoy toys that can be thrown through the air. Spinning discs are especially popular, due in part to their unique flight characteristics.
SUMMARYThis disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods related to flying toys, specifically to hand-thrown flying discs.
A stabilized flying disc toy, including apparatuses and methods, is described and illustrated in the present disclosure, and an illustrative toy is generally indicated at 10 in
Disc portion 12 may include any suitable rigid or semi-rigid structure configured to act as a flying disc. Disc portion 12 as depicted in
Tail portion 14 may include any suitable flexible, semi-flexible, or resilient, substantially planar structure configured to add visual functionality and stability to disc toy 10, and to remain generally stationary with respect to the hub as the disc spins and the toy flies through the air. In some examples, tail portion 14 may include a foam cut-out glued to upper and lower portions of the hub assembly, with a mouth 20 extending around the edge of the disc so as not to interfere with the spinning of the disc. In some examples, such as with a smaller four-inch disc, tail portion 14 may instead be made of a woven textile such as nylon pack cloth, and/or a flexible synthetic or natural material such as Tyvek®. This arrangement allows the tail, interchangeably referred to as a flag, to remain flexible while providing sufficient vertical stability. Materials such as Tyvek® and foam also allow color printing on the tail, to facilitate addition of various images and words. For example, an example of tail portion 14 could include a foam cut-out in the shape of a stylized animal, with the mouth 20 of the tail portion being depicted as the mouth of the stylized animal. A wide variety of animals may be depicted, and the concept of an animal holding the disc in its mouth may be visually appealing and amusing to users. In addition to or instead of animal imagery, the disc and/or tail may include advertising and/or textual messages. Any other suitable imagery may be used, such as national or team flags, abstract images, and/or logos. The discs may also be any suitable color. To enable proper stability, tail portion 14 may be configured with approximately 50% of its mass above and approximately 50% below a centerline C of the disc. In some examples, tail portions will be stylized, and up to approximately 60% of the mass may be above centerline C without greatly reducing the flying characteristics of the toy. Accordingly, tail portion 14 may be described as having a first portion above centerline C of the disc and a second portion below centerline C of the disc. Centerline C may also be described as lying within a plane (X-Y) generally defined by the disc portion.
Based on the above description and the associated drawings, the following examples, in the form of numbered paragraphs, describe various embodiments of apparatuses and methods of the disclosure.
A. A hand-launched toy may include a disc portion having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface; and a substantially planar tail portion operatively connected to the disc portion at a central hub such that the disc portion is rotatable independent of the tail portion, the tail portion having an upper portion on the side of the first major surface and a lower portion on the side of the second major surface; wherein the tail portion is configured to remain generally in a trailing position orthogonal to the disc portion when the disc portion is thrown through the air.
B. The device of paragraph A, wherein the central hub comprises a hub assembly removably disposed in an aperture in the disc portion.
C. The device of paragraph B, wherein the aperture comprises a cylindrical wall.
D. The device of paragraph C, wherein the cylindrical wall has a convex inner surface.
E. The device of paragraph C, wherein the circular wall of the aperture depends from the second major surface of the disc portion.
F. The device of paragraph B, wherein the hub assembly comprises a first cylindrical portion having a hollow center and at least one lateral aperture, and a second portion configured to matingly engage the first portion and having at least one lateral tab biased outward to fit into the at least one lateral aperture of the first portion.
G. The device of paragraph B, wherein the hub assembly comprises manually separable hub portions.
H. The device of paragraph A, wherein the upper portion and lower portion of the tail portion are joined such that the tail portion forms a mouth passing around the disc portion.
I. The device of paragraph A, wherein the tail portion has a mass, and wherein less than approximately 60% of the mass lies above a plane defined by the disc portion.
J. The device of paragraph I, wherein the mass of the tail portion is substantially balanced above and below the plane defined by the disc portion.
K. The device of paragraph A, wherein the tail portion is configured to display a shape and an image of a stylized animal.
The disclosure set forth above may encompass multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. Although each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form(s), the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. Where the description recites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such description includes one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Further, ordinal indicators, such as first, second or third, for identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements, and do not indicate a required or limited number of such elements, and do not indicate a particular position or order of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated.
The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed in applications claiming priority from this or a related application. Such claims, whether directed to a different invention or to the same invention, and whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. A hand-thrown toy including
- a disc portion having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface; and
- a substantially planar tail portion operatively connected to the disc portion at a central hub such that the disc portion is rotatable independent of the tail portion, the tail portion having an upper portion on the side of the first major surface and a lower portion on the side of the second major surface;
- wherein the tail portion is configured to remain generally in a trailing position orthogonal to the disc portion when the disc portion is thrown through the air.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the central hub comprises a hub assembly removably disposed in an aperture in the disc portion.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the aperture comprises a cylindrical wall.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the cylindrical wall has a convex inner surface.
5. The device of claim 3, wherein the circular wall of the aperture depends from the second major surface of the disc portion.
6. The device of claim 2, wherein the hub assembly comprises a first cylindrical portion having a hollow center and at least one lateral aperture, and a second portion configured to matingly engage the first portion and having at least one lateral tab biased outward to fit into the at least one lateral aperture of the first portion.
7. The device of claim 2, wherein the hub assembly comprises manually separable hub portions.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion and lower portion of the tail portion are joined such that the tail portion forms a mouth passing around the disc portion.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the tail portion has a mass, and wherein less than approximately 60% of the mass lies above a plane defined by the disc portion.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein the mass of the tail portion is substantially balanced above and below the plane defined by the disc portion.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the tail portion is configured to display a shape and an image of a stylized animal.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 10, 2014
Publication Date: Oct 9, 2014
Applicant: CAL-SIDE (USA) LTD., DBA MONKEY BUSINESS SPORTS (Portland, OR)
Inventors: David Glickson (Evanston, IL), Cole Larner (Portland, OR)
Application Number: 14/177,193
International Classification: A63H 33/18 (20060101);