PLAY DEVICES PRINCIPALLY FOR JUMPING OR SKIPPING
Detailed are play and exercise devices providing dynamic distance between a housing and a collar or loop positioned about a limb (typically ankle) of a user. Elastic cord may be used to connect the housing and loop and to allow their relative distances to change in use. The cord also may itself form the loop, avoiding any need for a separate such component.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/542,846, filed Oct. 4, 2011, and having the same title as appears above, the entire contents of which provisional patent application are hereby incorporated herein by this reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis application relates to toys or play things and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to devices rotatable by a user while jumping or skipping.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONU.S. Pat. No. 4,875,675 to Arad, et al., details an example of a rotatable “skipping toy.” The toy includes a collar intended to be placed loosely about an ankle of a person. Attached to an end of and extending from the collar is a shaft, whose opposed end is attached to a drum. The elongated shaft is designed to connect the drum to the collar “at a predetermined distance therefrom,” see Arad, col. 1, 11. 49-51, and thus is inextensible in use.
Another example of such a toy is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,101,321 to Kessler. It too includes a collar or ring “through which one foot is placed” as well as a drum or ball. See Kessler, col. 1, 11. 10-11. Connecting the ring and ball is “a flattened element which is twisted or spiraled” and includes “day glow” dye. See id., col. 2, 11. 27-28 and 39-40. Although the twisted connector may rotate about an axis through an associated pivot section when in use, it is intended to be “strong and either rigid or [only] slightly flexible.” See id., col. 3, 11. 21-22. Accordingly, it neither expands nor contracts in operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,679 to Menow illustrates yet another exemplary skipping toy with a collar and a drum or housing. Connecting the collar and housing is an elongated tether. Like the shaft of the Arad patent and the twisted connector of the Kessler patent, the tether too is “of a predetermined length.” It thus also is inextensible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAlthough these existing toys seem capable of functioning as play things, each operates in the same manner by intentionally providing a static, predetermined distance between collar and housing. By contrast, play—as well as exercise work outs—potentially could be improved by providing dynamic distance between collar and housing. Accordingly, the present invention incorporates a connector of variable length into the jumping or skipping device, thus distinguishing it from existing such toys.
At least some versions of the invention may include an elastic (“shock”) cord as a connector to a housing or ball. This cord, further, may itself be used also to form the collar or ring to be positioned about a user's ankle. This structure results in both the connector and the collar being extensible while avoiding any need for the separate collar of existing toys.
Additional components of the device may comprise a cover for the looped section of the cord functioning as the collar or ring as well as means for connecting the cord and the ball. Although inclusion of the cover is optional, if included it may assist in making and retaining the loop of cord. Other temporary or permanent fasteners may be used instead or additionally. Similarly, the cord may be temporarily or permanently connected to the ball in any suitable manner. In a presently-preferred embodiment of the invention, such connection occurs using a bearing, crimp, and cap positioned at least partially within a bounded channel of an otherwise hollow ball.
It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide devices for play or exercise.
It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide jumping or skipping devices for positioning about a user's limb (such as an ankle).
It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide devices utilizing an elastic connector between a collar or loop and a housing or ball.
It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide an elastic connector also functioning as the collar or loop.
It is an additional optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide attachment means for creating a connected structure including loop, ball, and connector.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the appropriate art with reference to the remaining text and the drawings of this application.
Illustrated in
Included as part of device 10 are connector 14 and a mass such as ball 18. Connector 14 is elastic and hence extensible in use. A presently-preferred connector 14 is a length of shock cord, although other elastic materials may be used instead. Ball 18 advantageously may be a generally spherical, mainly hollow object as shown in
As depicted in
Second end region 38 of connector 14 may attach directly or indirectly to ball 18.
To utilize assembled device 10, a user may position loop 26 about, for example, an ankle of a first leg of his or her body. By moving the ankle slightly circularly, the user may cause loop 26 to rotate about the ankle, with the rotating motion then transferred by connector 14 to ball 18. Ball 18 too therefore rotates; because connector 14 typically is longer than the normal distance between the user's legs, the user must repeatedly lift or otherwise move his or her second leg to avoid contact with rotating ball 18. If the user is standing, this movement results in the user jumping or skipping as the ball 18 passes the second leg.
Additionally, because ball 18 has mass, centrifugal forces act to cause elastic connector 14 to lengthen as the ball 18 rotates. This dynamic lengthening of connector 14 produces different physical behavior of device 10 than were connector 14 wholly or mainly inextensible, providing a different exercise work out than is supplied by conventional devices.
The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, ball 18 may be illuminated by one or more light sources positioned therein or thereon. If a light source is contained within ball 18, the ball 18 may be made—in whole or in part—of transparent or translucent material so that illumination is visible external to the ball 18. The contents of the Arad, Kessler, and Menow patents are incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference.
Claims
1. A play or exercise device comprising:
- a. a mass;
- b. a collar configured for placement in use about a limb of a user; and
- c. variable-length means for connecting the mass and the collar.
2. A device according to claim 1 in which the mass is a ball and the variable-length connecting means comprises elongated elastic cord.
3. A device according to claim 2 in which the ball is illuminated.
4. A device according to claim 2 in which the ball comprises a channel configured to receive the variable-length connecting means.
5. A device according to claim 4 in which the ball further comprises first and second openings defining opposed endpoints of the channel.
6. A device according to claim 5 in which the ball has an interior having a hollow portion and a wall positioned centrally within the interior so as to form the channel.
7. A device according to claim 4 in which the channel has an enlarged portion abutting the first opening.
8. A device according to claim 7 further comprising a connection assembly removably fitted into the enlarged portion of the channel so as to retain the variable-length connecting means in the ball.
9. A device according to claim 8 in which the connection assembly comprises a cap.
10. A device according to claim 9 in which the ball has an exterior surface and the cap is flush with the exterior surface when the connection assembly is fitted into the enlarged portion of the channel.
11. A device according to claim 2 in which the variable-length connecting means has a first end region and the collar is formed by bending the first end region in non-linear manner.
12. A device according to claim 11 further comprising a crimp or cover configured to connect the first end region to itself.
13. A device according to claim 12 in which the collar may be resized by changing a position at which the first end region connects to itself.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 2, 2012
Publication Date: Apr 4, 2013
Inventor: George M. Kessler (Taftville, CT)
Application Number: 13/633,160
International Classification: A63B 5/22 (20060101);