Spinning top game

Abstract

A hand-held game consisting of a spinning top and a play object over which the player maneuvers the top. In the preferred embodiment the play object has a planar disc-shaped base play surface with satellite disc-shaped base play surfaces attached at the edge of the base play surface and oriented perpendicular to the base play surface. The player receives points based on the difficulty of maneuvers involving tossing of the spinning top off one play surface and landing on and continuing to spin on a second play surface.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present non-provisional patent application is based on provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/776,745 filed Feb. 24, 2006 by Wallace Brown entitled “Hand-held game toy.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related generally to hand-held toys and games, and more particularly to games with spinning tops. Furthermore, the present invention is related generally to methods for playing with spinning tops.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a game involving a spinning top.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a hand-held game involving the maneuvering of a spinning top between play surfaces.

Still more particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a hand-held game involving the maneuvering of a spinning top between play surfaces by tossing the top from play surface to play surface.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a play object which has a plurality of play surfaces between which a player may maneuver a spinning top.

It is another object of the present invention to satisfy the above objects of the invention in an instance where the play surfaces are rigidly interconnected.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a play object which has plurality of play surfaces between which a player may maneuver a spinning top where the spatial relationship between the play surfaces is reconfigurable.

Additional objects and advantages of the present application will become apparent upon review of the Figures, Detailed Description of the Present Invention, and appended Claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a hand-held spinning top game having a top, and a hand-held play object having a base play surface and a satellite play surface. The basic maneuver of play is spinning the top on the base play surface and tossing the top from the base play surface to the satellite play surface such that the top lands on the satellite play surface and continues to spin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a view of the play object of the present invention which has a base play surface and four satellite play surfaces attached to the base play surface via a fastening means.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of a portion of the play object of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A depicts the start of a maneuver where a player tosses the spinning top from the base surface to a satellite surface.

FIG. 3B depicts the end of the maneuver where a player tosses the spinning top from the base surface to a satellite surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the play object 100 of the spinning top game of the present invention. The play object 100 has a disc-shape base play surface 110 with raised rim 105 along its edge 115, a first small disc-shaped satellite play surface 130 attached via a friction mount 132 to the rim 105 at the edge 115 of the base play surface 110, a second larger disc-shaped satellite play surface 140 attached via a friction mount 142 to the rim 105 at the edge 115 of the base play surface 110, a third larger disc-shaped satellite play surface 150 attached via a friction mount 152 to the rim 105 at the edge 115 of the base play surface 110, and a fourth larger disc-shaped satellite play surface 160 attached via a friction mount 162 to the rim 105 at the edge 115 of the base play surface 110. FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the second satellite play surface 140 showing the clip-on friction mounting mechanism 142 used to affix the second satellite play surface 140 to the rim 105 of the base play surface 110. The first, second, third and fourth satellite play surfaces 130, 140, 150 and 160 oriented such that the normals of the first, second, third and fourth satellite play surfaces 130, 140, 150 and 160 extending from the centers of the first, second, third and fourth satellite play surfaces 130, 140, 150 and 160 are coincident with the lines from the center of the base play surface 110 to the center of the first, second, third and fourth satellite play surfaces 130, 140, 150 and 160, respectively. The first, second, third and fourth satellite play surfaces 130, 140, 150 and 160 may be removed from the rim 105 and remounted at other locations along the rim 105, thereby changing the configuration of the play object 100.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict the process of a player tossing a top 50 which had been spinning on the base play surface 110 in a trajectory such that it will land on the first satellite play surface 130. In FIG. 3A the top 50 is spinning on the base play surface 110, and the player is about to begin the maneuver. In FIG. 3B the top 50 is about to land on the second satellite play surface 140, and the player is about to complete the maneuver. If the player manages to land the top 50 on the second satellite play surface 140 so that it continues to spin on the second satellite play surface 140, then the player wins a number of points associated with the successful performance of that operation. Other maneuvers which the player may attempt are:

• • the tossing of the spinning top 50 from the second satellite play surface 140 back to the base play surface 110 in a manner such that the top 50 lands on and continues to spin on the base play surface 100;
  • the tossing of the spinning top 50 from the second satellite play surface 140 to the first satellite play surface 130 in a manner such that the top 50 lands on and continues to spin on the second satellite play surface 130;
  • the tossing of the spinning top 50 from the second satellite play surface 140 to the fourth satellite play surface 160 in a manner such that the top 50 lands on and continues to spin on the first satellite play surface 160;
  • the tossing of the spinning top 50 from the fourth satellite play surface 160 back to the base play surface 110 in a manner such that the top 50 lands on and continues to spin on the base play surface 100; and so on.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it should be understood that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Many variations are within the scope of the present invention, for instance: other types of tops may be used; the play surfaces may be non-planar; the play surfaces may not be disc-shaped; the satellite play surfaces may not be attached at the edge of the base play surface; the satellite play surfaces may not oriented perpendicular to the base play surface; the satellite play surface may be detachable and re-attachable and their relative positions reconfigurable; the satellite play surfaces may be attached to the base play surface via other means; etc. In summary, it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A game comprising:

a top, and

a hand-held play object having a base play surface on which said top can be spun and from which said top can be tossed and a first satellite play surface onto which said top can be made to land and continue spinning after said top is tossed off of said base play surface by movement of said held play object.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein said top, after being tossed from said base play surface to land while still spinning on said first satellite play surface, while still spinning said top can be tossed from said first satellite play surface and made to land on said first base surface and continue spinning.

3. The game of claim 1 wherein said hand-held play object further includes a second satellite play surface onto which said top can be made to land and continue spinning after said top is tossed off of said base play surface.

4. The game of claim 1 wherein said satellite surface is attached to an edge of said base play surface and oriented roughly perpendicular to said base play surface.

5. The game of claim 3 wherein said base play surface is roughly disc-shaped and said satellite surface is roughly disc-shaped.