Novelty loose string ball assembly and its associated method of manufacture

Abstract

A novelty loose string ball assembly having a multitude of long string elements that extend from opposite sides of a narrow central hub. The loose string ball assembly is created by fabricating a rolled structure that contains a string ribbon. The string ribbon has a central band and a plurality of long string elements that extend from opposite edges of the central band. The rolled structure is created by rolling the first string ribbon up along the central band. Adhesive is deposited along the central band that prevents the rolled structure from unraveling. Secondary string ribbons can be added to the rolled structure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

In general, the present invention relates to bound clumps of string of similar strands, therein producing a loose string ball. More particularly, the present invention relates to the structure of novelty loose string ball assemblies and the manners in which they are fabricated.

2. Prior Art Description

There are many balls, such as baseballs, that are primarily made from a wound length of string. Typically, such balls have a covering that prevents the wound string from fraying or otherwise becoming unwound. In the case of a baseball, the ball of string is covered in a stitched rawhide cover. However, toy manufacturers have often purposely created balls of string where the strings are exposed. Having exposed string on a ball makes a ball easier to catch. Exposed strings also limit the speed of flight of a thrown ball and prevent a ball from bouncing on impact. All of these features are desirable for particular types of games.

A well known example of a loose string ball is the Koosh® ball, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,529 to Stillinger, entitled Generally Spherical Object With Floppy Filaments To Promote Sure Capture. The Koosh® ball has a multitude of elastomeric filaments that emanate from a common core to produce a ball. Within the core of the Koosh® ball, all the filaments are physically tied together. This makes the ball very complicated to manufacture. Each of the filaments must be separately manufactured and precisely bound together to form a uniform ball. This complicated manufacturing process requires complex and expensive machinery to accomplish on a mass scale. Accordingly, such loose string balls are expensive to produce. Furthermore, the longer the strands used in the loose string ball, the more complex it becomes to create the loose string ball. Loose string balls are therefore typically manufactured with relatively short loose strings.

A need therefore exists for a new manner in which a loose string ball can be manufactured, without requiring that the loose strings be tied together. Furthermore, a need exists for a new manner of inexpensively creating a loose string ball with long strings. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a novelty loose string ball assembly having a multitude of long string elements that extend from opposite sides of a narrow central hub.

The loose string ball assembly is created by fabricating a rolled structure. The rolled structure contains at least a first string ribbon. The first string ribbon has a first central band and a first plurality of long string elements that extend from opposite edges of the first central band. The rolled structure is created by rolling the first string ribbon up along the first central band. Adhesive is deposited along the first central band that prevents the rolled structure from unraveling.

Secondary string ribbons can be added to the rolled structure. The secondary string ribbons can be stacked atop the first string ribbon, prior to rolling. Alternatively, the secondary string ribbons can be wound around the first string ribbon after it is rolled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention loose string ball assembly;

FIG. 2 is a partially assembled perspective view of a first exemplary loose string ball assembly;

FIG. 3 is a partially assembled perspective view of a second exemplary loose string ball assembly; and

FIG. 4 is a partially assembled perspective view of a third exemplary loose string ball assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the present invention novelty loose string ball can be made from many string materials, such as cotton string, yarn, monofilament plastic string and the like, the present invention is particularly well suited for use in making loose string ball assemblies out of elastomeric gel material. Accordingly, in the exemplary embodiment of the invention that is presented, the loose string elements used in the creation of the ball assembly are comprised of elastomeric gel. It should be understood that the selection of such material is only to present one of the best modes contemplated for the invention and should not be considered a limitation on the invention as claimed.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a loose string ball assembly 10. The loose string ball assembly 10 has a multitude of long string elements 12 that extend outwardly from a central hub section 14. The long string elements 12 are all preferably made from an elastomeric gel material. Accordingly, each of the long string elements 12 is highly elastic and can be stretched to much longer lengths without breaking. The elastomeric gel material is preferably a tri-block copolymer material mixed with plasticizing oil. Several formulations for elastomeric gel are commonly used in the toy industry for a variety of novelty items.

The long string elements 12 are highly flexible and readily bend under their own weight. The long string elements 12 extend from the central hub section 14 only from two opposites sides 15, 16 of the central hub section 14. As the long string elements 12 enter the central hub section 14, they are all parallel. The bending, twisting and dangling of the long string elements 12 is caused by their small cross-sectional area and long length. Preferably, the long string elements 12 have a cross-sectional area of between one and three square millimeters. Furthermore, the long string elements 12 have a length of between ten and twenty-five centimeters.

Depending upon the size and shape of the long string elements 12, preferably between fifty and five hundred long string elements 12 extend from each side 15, 16 of the central hub section 14. With this number of long string elements 12, it will be understood that long string elements 12 from one side of the central hub section 14 will inevitably be bent backward to the opposite side of the central hub section 14. The folding of the long string elements 12 covers the central hub section 14 and often prevents the central hub section 14 from being viewed as the loose string ball assembly 10 is manipulated.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary method of fabricating the loose string ball assembly is shown. In a first step, a string ribbon 20 is provided. The string ribbon 20 is a generally two-dimensional structure that is either made by injection molding or from the stamp cutting of a flat sheet of material. The string ribbon 20 has a solid central band 22 that extends along the length of the string ribbon 20. Individual long string elements 12 extend away from the solid central band 22 along both of its long edges. The solid central band 22 and the long string elements 12 are unistructurally made from the same material, being either molded or cut as a single piece. The solid central band 22 has a narrow width. The long string elements 12 have a length that is at least ten times longer than the width of the solid central band 22.

Adhesive 26 is applied to the top of the solid central band 22 along its entire length. The string ribbon 20 is then tightly wound into a roll structure 28. As the string ribbon 20 is wound, the adhesive binds and holds the string ribbon 20 into the rolled structure 28.

Depending upon the length of the solid central band 22 in the string ribbon 20, only one string ribbon 20 may need to be glued and rolled to create the present invention loose string ball assembly 10. However, it is preferred that more than one string ribbon be used. By using more than one string ribbon, string ribbons of different colors can be used together.

Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that multiple string ribbons 20A, 20B can be joined together. In a first technique, the different string ribbons 20A, 20B are placed flat atop each other like cards in a deck of cards. The string ribbons 20A, 20B have the same structure as has been previously described, having solid central bands 22 and long string elements 12 that extend from the solid central bands 22. The top of one solid central band 22 is adhesively bonded to the bottom of another. The stacked string ribbons 20A, 20B are then rolled into the form of the loose string ball assembly.

Referring to FIG. 4, another method of manufacture is described. In this technique, a first string ribbon 20 is wound into a roll structure 28. A second string ribbon 30 is then rolled around the roll structure 28 created by the wound first string ribbon element 20. The result is a loose string ball assembly contains multiple string ribbons 20, 30 that may or may not be the same.

In FIG. 4 it can be seen that the long string elements 12 on the first string ribbon 20 are different in shape than the long string elements 32 on the second string ribbon 30. On the first string ribbon 20, the long string elements 12 are straight. In the second string ribbon 30, the long string elements 32 have a meandering zigzag shape. Such a configuration is elected to illustrate that the long string elements 12, 32 on the different string ribbons 20, 30 can vary in shape, color, length and/or material.

Returning to FIG. 1, it will be understood that regardless of which method of manufacture is selected, the same end product is created. The end product is a loose string ball assembly 10 having a narrow central hub section 14 and a multitude of long string elements 12 that extend out of the sides of the narrow central hub section 14. The long string elements 12 are highly flexible and dangle down straight under the force of their own weight.

It will be understood that the loose string ball assemblies that have been illustrated are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many variations to those embodiments. For example, the size, shape, length, color and material of the long string elements are a matter of design choice. Furthermore, how many long string elements are present in the loose string ball assembly can be varied widely. All such variations, modifications and alternate embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A novelty assembly, comprising:

a rolled structure containing a first string ribbon, said first string ribbon containing a first central band and a first plurality of long string elements that extend from opposite edges of said first central band, wherein said first string ribbon is rolled along said first central band; and

adhesive deposited along said first central band that prevents said first string ribbon from unrolling.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first central band and said first plurality of long string elements of said first string ribbon are unistructurally formed as a single piece.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said first string ribbon is comprised of elastomeric material.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first central band has a predetermined width and said first plurality of long string elements have a length at least ten times longer than said predetermined width.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, further including a second string ribbon, said second string ribbon containing a second central band and a second plurality of long string elements that extend from opposite edges of said second central band.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said second string ribbon is rolled around said first string ribbon.

7. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said second string ribbon is rolled with said first string ribbon into said rolled structure.

8. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said second plurality of long string elements are visibly distinguishable from said first plurality of long string elements within said rolled structure.

9. A method of fabricating a novelty device, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first string ribbon that contains a plurality of long string elements that extend from a common central band;

applying adhesive to at least part of said common central band; and

rolling up said common central band, therein forming said first string ribbon into a rolled structure.

10. The method according to claim 9, further including the step of providing a second string ribbon.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including the step of rolling said second string ribbon around said first string ribbon.

12. The method according to claim 10, further including the step of adhesively bonding said second string ribbon to said first string ribbon and rolling both said first string ribbon and said second string ribbon into said rolled structure.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said second string ribbon contains a second plurality of long string elements that are visually distinguishable from said plurality of long string elements on said first string ribbon.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein said central band and said plurality of long string elements of said first string ribbon are unistructurally formed as a single piece.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said first string ribbon is comprised of elastomeric material.