Delivery Device

Abstract

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a lightweight delivery device, in order that children of all ages can experience the joy of watching payloads such as parachutes, confetti, and the like, being delivered to significant heights and returning slowly to the earth. This is accomplished by providing a hollow and visually interesting shape, which is first hinged open and filled with a desired payload. The device is then closed, bound with a cord and thrown high into the air. A flag, attached to the free end of the cord, causes the device to rotate, as it travels towards the apex of its flight, and allows the cord to unwind. Centrifugal force eventually opens the unbound device and the contents are ejected into the air.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to outdoor active play toys, and more specifically to amusement devices, which are designed to be thrown high into the air, to produce an enjoyable visual effect.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

For many years, children of all ages have enjoyed hours of entertainment provided by toys and novelty items, such as planes, confetti and parachutes. A significant drawback associated with this category of novelties, however, is the necessity to deliver items to an altitude, which is high enough to provide a long lasting visual experience. Any practical delivery device must be inexpensive to manufacturer, since it is not the primary object of interest to the child, but rather a means, which only facilitates the quality of play. Having noted this, it is not the intention here to imply a lack of importance for the delivery device to be appealing on its own, for effective merchandising, and if possible even magical in function, so as not to detract from, but rather enhance the enjoyment of the play activity. While attempts have been made to provide children with a solution for delivering items, most especially parachutes, high into the air, a review of the prior art will clearly illustrate how past inventions have fallen short of their intended goals. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,713,432; 1,938,931; 2,796,697; 3,055,141; 3,233,360; 3,397,481 and 3,949,520 all represent delivery devices designed to carry a parachute high into the air. While these different inventions each have their own unique features, they all share the same shortcomings, that we wish to discuss, and so will be dealt with together. These inventions all provide an adequate means of containing and securing their contents, but because their construction and design requires the vehicles to be manufactured from rigid materials, the parachute payloads must be attached to the delivery devices in order that they may return to the ground without causing injury to spectators or damage to the vehicles. This, together with the fact that each of these inventions attempts to deploy parachutes at or near the apex of an arc of travel, without the use of any additional stored energy, means that systems designed to discharge the parachutes are both unreliable and inconsistent. There is a serious failure on the part of these inventions to address the weightlessness, which is the state in which particular components are expected to react in a predetermined manner, while neglecting the reality that forces of turbulence, trajectory and rotation are all present and acting in a way which is unique to every launch. These factors can either aid or interfere with the action of ejecting the contents resulting in a play experience for the user which is all frustrating, inconsistent, and compromised. A further disadvantage of these inventions, is the singular nature of their designs. If the user wished to add additional items to the vehicles, it is doubtful there would be adequate space or any method to ensure that these additional items could be added without posing a serious interference condition. As a result of the shortcomings of the prior art, there exists a need for a delivery device which is both easy to use and consistently reliable. A delivery device which is versatile will also provide children with a more creative, interesting and satisfying play experience. It is therefore one object of this invention, to provide a safe and simple delivery device, which carries and deploys its contents, in a very consistent and reliable way. It is another object of this invention, to provide a more versatile delivery vehicle, which will allow children to traject and reliably deploy a variety of interesting items, such as parachutes, small gliders, confetti and the like. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a delivery device composed of a lightweight or soft semi-flexible material. In its most basic form, the proposed invention takes the shape of a hollow sphere. The hollow device should be separated into two equal halves, such that the two halves can be fitted together with perfect alignment and exhibit the appearance of a single form which has not been separated. It is critical, however, that the two halves do not jam or bind in any way that might prevent their easy separation. It may be said, that while the two halves fit perfectly together, they should separate by turbulent air if the joined halves were dropped from a height of about ten feet. It is of course also necessary to incorporate a means of maintaining the two halves in their joined configuration for a desired period of time, since the delivery device must effectively accomplish the task of transporting a payload when it has been thrown in an upward direction. A narrow, recessed channel enveloping the body of the invention, is oriented, such that the channel intersects the parting line of the invention's two halves, and provides a simple and effective means of guiding a lightweight cord, attached in the channel of one half, as it is wrapped several times around the vehicle. The concept of employing a cord to maintain the delivery device halves in their joined configuration, is one which a young child can easily comprehend, engage, and adjust for optimum performance. The subsequent separation of halves and payload deployment, is achieved by attaching an aerodynamic drag means, such as a simple flag or streamer, to the free end of the cord. When the invention is thrown in an upward direction, the drag means causes the delivery vehicle, now weightless in its freefall state, to rotate. Once the cord has completely unwound from about the invention, centrifugal force acting on the rotating vehicle will cause the two halves to fly apart and jettison the contents. Additionally, the invention may be fitted with a hinge means without interfering with or altering the way in which centrifugal force acts to open and expel the vehicle payload. Since the most impressive performance is achieved when the delivery device opens just before reaching the apex of its trajectory, it is important to provide a simple means for adjusting the timing of payload ejection. And because it is not necessary that the entire length of cord be wound around the invention to achieve optimum performance, a greater amount of cord may be left unwound to bring about a quicker separation of halves, making it possible for younger users with less arm power to experience a satisfying result.

It is important to note that the proposed invention may comprise any hollow shape and need not be limited to a spherical shape to achieve a reliable function. And while it is necessary that the delivery device be divided into at least two parts, it is possible that an embodiment of the invention may be comprised of a hollow shape which is divided into more than two parts or into two unequal parts. It is also within the scope of the proposed invention, to consider an embodiment, which comprises a large enough size to warrant the need for a parachute, streamer, or some other means, which is permanently attached to the delivery vehicle, for the purpose of slowing its decent. It is important to note, however, that adequate space must be provided to contain an ejectable payload within the interior of such a larger delivery vehicle, so that both the payload and attached means of slowing the decent of the vehicle can be deployed in a reliable and consistent manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention in the preferred embodiment illustrating the joined configuration.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating the open configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the preferred embodiment, FIG. 1 discloses a front view of delivery device 1, a hollow spherical form, which is divided into two equal halves “A” and “B” at parting line 2 and contains a channel 3, which traces a strait path over the surface of device 1 and intersects parting line 2 at an angle ranging from forty five to ninety degrees in two locations. The depth and width of channel 3 must be great enough so that the entire mass of cord 4 is confined when wrapped around device 1. Device 1 can be fabricated from any number of a variety of common lightweight plastic or rubber based materials such as poly-ethylene, ABS, poly-styrene, butyrate, vinyl, PVC, poly-propylene and especially foamed materials such as expanded poly-propylene, expanded poly-styrene, foamed structural urethane, foamed natural and synthetic rubber, foamed ethylene vinyl acetate, foamed poly-ethylene and several other variations and co-polymers of those already listed. Delivery device 1 can be manufactured using a variety of well known techniques, such as but not limited to, thermo-forming, vacuum-forming, rotational and injection molding, reaction injection or RIM molding, as well as blow molding or casting. Halves “A” and “B” shown in FIG. 1 are joined at parting line 2 and secured by several varieties of common, lightweight braided, twisted synthetic, or natural fiber cord 4, which is wrapped around device 1 within the confines of channel 3. A flag 6, fabricated from any lightweight woven fabric such as rip stop nylon, fine cotton, polyester or any non-woven fabric or thin plastic such as 0.005″ thick mylar, polyethylene, or polypropylene sheet, is attached to cord 4 at attachment point 5, by tying, stitching, gluing or heat welding. Hinges 21 and 22, shown in FIG. 2, constructed from any flexible material such as ⅛″ diameter vinyl rod, allow halves “A” and “B” to separate without becoming detached or disoriented, making the joining and realignment process much simpler for a young user. Attachment 20, also shown in FIG. 2, illustrates the requirement that cord 4 be attached to delivery device 1, at any point along the bottom or deepest portion of channel 3. Payload 23 may comprise a wide variety of visually interesting items or materials, including but not limited to, confetti, one or more parachute toys, one or more small gliders, or even an amount of harmless powder such as cornstarch. The operation of delivery device 1 involves first locating and loading the desired payload 23 into the interior hollow space of device 1; closing device 1 so that halves “A” and “B” are joined at parting line 2; binding halves “A” and “B” together by winding cord 4, either partially or completely, around device 1 within channel 3, and then throwing delivery device 1 into the air along a trajectory ranging from ninety to forty five degrees relative to the earth's surface. As device 1 moves in an upward direction, a force known as aerodynamic drag will act on flag 6 and cause device 1 to rotate in a direction, which will also cause cord 4 to unwind from within channel 3 around device 1. When cord 4 has completely unwound from around device 1, centrifugal force acting on device 1 will cause halves “A” and “B” to separate and payload 23 to be ejected.

Claims

1. A delivery device comprising, a hollow shape divided at parting lines into at least two portions, said portions capable of fitting loosely together at said parting lines without binding and exhibiting an appearance of a single shape; said portions having an interior space capable of containing a payload means when joined together; at least one channel inscribed in an exterior surface of said hollow shape; said channel circumscribing said surface in a strait path and intersecting said parting lines; a binding means; said binding means attached to one said portion within a confines of said channel; said binding means capable of completing at least one revolution about said hollow shape within said confines of said channel; an aerodynamic drag means; said drag means attached to a free end of said binding means; said drag means capable of experiencing enough aerodynamic drag to cause a rotation of said hollow shape, when said hollow shape is bound together by said binding means and propelled, by throwing with a hand, through the air.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said portions are hinged together.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said payload means comprises at least one parachute.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said delivery device contains a deployable drag means attached to said interior.