Tossable Toy

Abstract

A tossable toy includes a gliding portion, a gripping portion at the back of the tossable toy, and a flexible portion located between the gliding portion and the gripping portion. The gliding portion is configured to provide lift to the tossable toy during flight between a user having tossed the tossable toy and a target towards which the tossable toy has been tossed by the user and includes an opening at the front of the tossable toy having a front boundary where the opening is configured to receive the target within the opening and behind the front boundary.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a tossable toy. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tossable toy having a gliding portion, a gripping portion, and a flexible portion there between that enables the toy to bend when a user of the toy swings his or her arm as part of a tossing motion, where the gliding portion has an opening for encircling a stake.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention involves a tossable toy having a top, a bottom, a front, a left side, a right side, and a back that includes a gliding portion configured to provide lift to the tossable toy during flight between a user having tossed the tossable toy and a target towards which the tossable toy has been tossed by the user, the gliding portion having an opening at the front of said tossable toy, the opening having a front boundary, the opening being configured to receive said target within said opening and behind said front boundary, a gripping portion located at the back of said tossable toy, and a flexible portion located between said gliding portion and said gripping portion.

A cross-section of the gliding portion from the front of the tossable toy towards the back of the tossable toy can resembles an airfoil.

The bottom of the tossable toy can be flat.

The top of the tossable toy can have a curvature.

The target can be a stake.

The tossable toy can be configured to enable a user to grip the gripping portion with a thumb and index finder of a first hand of the user and hold the gliding portion with a second hand of the user in order to maintain the tossable toy in a substantially straight orientation along a reference axis extending from the front of the tossable toy to the back of the tossable toy and use a pendulum swing motion comprising a backward swing followed by a forward swing that ends with the user releasing the gripping portion of the tossable toy in order to toss the tossable toy towards the target, the reference axis being substantially parallel to a surface upon which the user is standing when tossing the tossable toy, the flexible portion enabling the gliding portion to rotate in a first direction relative to the gripping portion during the backward swing and enabling the gliding portion to rotate in a second direction relative to the gripping portion during the forward swing, the second direction being opposite the first direction.

The gliding portion can include a cavity for receiving a mass, where the cavity can extend from the left side of the gliding portion through the gliding portion to the right side of the gliding portion at a location towards the front of the gliding portion.

The gliding portion can include a cavity that provides buoyancy to the tossable toy, where the cavity can corresponds to an air bladder and where a user can pump air into the cavity via a hole.

The gliding portion can include a first cavity for receiving a mass and a second cavity for receiving a mass or providing buoyancy to the tossable toy.

The opening may include a hook.

The opening may include a hooked region.

The opening may include a point.

The opening may include a guide slope.

The opening may include a ringer breaker.

The opening can resemble a horseshoe used in horseshoe tossing competitions.

A cross-section of the gliding portion from the left side to the right side of the tossable can have a symmetrical airfoil-like shape resembling a flying disc.

The tossable toy may include at least one of a winglet or a tail fin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.

FIGS. 1A-1D depict top, side, front, and rear views of an exemplary tossable toy in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary user holding the tossable toy of FIG. 1 in an exemplary starting position prior to tossing the toy using an exemplary pendulum swing motion;

FIG. 3A depicts an exemplary backward swing of an exemplary pendulum swing motion;

FIG. 3B depicts an exemplary forward swing of an exemplary pendulum swing motion;

FIGS. 4A-4D depict top, side, front, and rear views of another exemplary tossable toy in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4E depicts three exemplary masses that can be placed into a cavity of the toy of FIGS. 4A-4D.

FIGS. 4F and 4G depict an exemplary mass comprising two outer components having respective threaded female portions and a middle portion having threaded male portions on opposing ends;

FIG. 5 depicts the toy of FIGS. 4A-4D floating in water;

FIG. 6A depicts a top view of yet another exemplary tossable toy in accordance with the invention having an opening that includes a hook and a hooked region;

FIG. 6B depicts a top view of still another exemplary tossable toy in accordance with the invention having an opening that includes an opening shaped to resemble the opening of a horseshoe;

FIGS. 6C-6E depict top views of various other exemplary tossable toys in accordance with the invention having various other types of openings;

FIGS. 7A-7D depict top, side, front, and rear views of an additional exemplary tossable toy in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 8A-8D depict top, side, front, and rear views of another additional exemplary tossable toy in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 9A-9D depict top, side, front, and rear views of yet another additional exemplary tossable toy in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 10A-10C depict a first example of how a design of an aircraft can be modified to produce a toy in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 11A-11D depict a second example of how a design of an aircraft can be modified to produce a toy in accordance with the invention; and

FIGS. 12A-12N depict various exemplary targets towards which a toy in accordance with the invention can be tossed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a tossable toy comprises a gliding portion, a gripping portion, and a flexible portion between the gliding portion and gripping portion, which together are configured to enable the toy to function as a combination of a horse shoe, a flying disc, and lawn dart.

FIGS. 1A-1D depict top, side, front, and rear views of an exemplary tossable toy 100 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, a tossable toy 100 includes a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106. The gliding portion 102 includes an opening 108 at the front of the toy 100 having a front boundary 110, where the opening 108 is sized sufficiently for capturing (or receiving) a target, for example, a stake 112, where the target typically has around cross-section having a diameter, or width, which may be as small as ½ but may be as large as ¾″ to 1″. The toy 100 has a top, a bottom, a front, which is where the opening 108 is located, and a back, which is where the flexible portion 104 and gripping portion 106 are located. A cross-section of the gliding portion 102 of the toy 102 from the front of the toy 100 to the back of the toy 100 may resemble an airfoil, where the bottom of the toy is flat and the top of the toy has a curvature, where the airfoil-like shape of the gliding portion 102 of the toy 100 is intended to provide the toy lift during flight.

As with the game of horseshoes, the opening 108 of the toy 100 enables a user to toss the toy 100 towards a target, for example, a stake 112 in an attempt to capture the target (or stake) 112 within the opening 108 of the toy 100 to achieve what is commonly called a ‘ringer’. A ringer can be determined by placing a straightedge across the front boundary 110 of the opening 108, which is indicated by the dashed and dotted line, where if the straightedge can be placed across the front boundary 110 without being impeded, for example, by a stake 112 that is not completely inside the opening 108, then the stake 112 has been properly captured by the toy 100 and a ‘ringer’ is determined to have been achieved. If the stake 112 prevents the straightedge from spanning the front boundary 110, then a ringer was not successfully achieved.

A user may choose to toss the toy 100 with the top facing upward or with the bottom facing upward (i.e., upside down), or with the top facing towards a side (right or left) in some manner (i.e., with some angle between the top facing upward and the top facing towards a side such as 30°). Under one arrangement, the toy 100 can be tossed much like a horseshoe or a lawn dart using what can be described as a pendulum swing motion, which typically consists of a backward swing, a forward swing, and a release of the toy allowing it to glide towards an intended target. The pendulum swing motion typically begins with a user holding the toy 100 in an exemplary starting position prior to tossing the toy 100, such as depicted in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 2, a user is shown gripping the gripping portion 106 of the toy 100 with a thumb 202 and index finger 204 of a first hand 206 (e.g., a right hand) and holding the gliding portion 102 of the toy 100 with a thumb 208 and index finger 210 of a second hand 212 (e.g., a left hand) in order to maintain the toy 100 in a substantially straight orientation along an reference axis extending from the front of the toy 100 to the rear of the toy 100 as indicated by the dashed line, where the reference axis can be substantially parallel to a surface upon which the user is standing when tossing the toy, for example, the ground, a road, a lawn, the bottom of a pool, etc.

A backward swing and forward swing of an exemplary pendulum swing motion is depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Referring to FIG. 3A, a user that is gripping the gripping portion 104 of the toy 100 swings his or her arm back in a backward swing motion from the starting position 302 through successive backward swing positions such as represented by positions 304 and 306 until the user has swung his or her arm backward from the starting position 302 by at least 90 degrees, but typically more (e.g., 120 degrees), to an ending backward swing position as represented by position 308. During the backward swing, the flexible portion 104 enables the gliding portion 102 to rotate in a first (backward) direction relative to the gripping portion 106 during the user's backward swing, where an angle θ is produced between a backward swing axis extending from the front of the toy 100 to the bendable portion 104 of the toy 100 and the reference axis corresponding to the starting position (as shown in FIG. 2). The amount of the angle θ produced during a user's tossing motion depends on various factors including the bending stiffness of the flexible portion 104 of the toy 100, where the angle θ may be, for example, as little as 10-15° or as much as 90° (or more) but in accordance with the invention must always be more than 0°.

Similarly, as depicted in FIG. 3B, the flexible portion 104 enables the gliding portion 102 to rotate in a second (forward) direction relative to the gripping portion as part of the user's forward swing from the ending backward swing position 308 through successive forward swing positions such as represented by positions 306 and 304 until the user has swung his or her arm forward at least 90°, but typically more (e.g., 120°) back to an end forward swing position which may or not correspond to the starting position 302, where the second direction is opposite the first direction. When the user releases the toy at the end of the user's forward swing as represented by position 302, the various portions of the toy 100 will substantially straighten out into a plane as the toy glides towards a target such as a stake, a basket, a ring, a net, or another users' hand.

A user of the toy can choose to use a different starting position other that the exemplary starting position shown in FIG. 2. For example, a starting position may involve the toy being held in such a way that the toy is bent and not substantially straight, or the starting position could involve a user holding the toy with his or her arm in a downward position next to his or her side with the front (or nose) of the toy pointing downward towards the ground. Additionally, a user of the toy can choose to toss the toy using a different tossing motion other than the pendulum swing motion depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B, which might involve an overhead swinging motion or a sidearm swinging motion.

Generally, all sorts of tossing motions are possible that result in the toy gliding towards a target, which might involve spinning the toy. For example, a game could require a user to begin a tossing motion in the starting position as shown in FIG. 2 but require the user to rotate his or her wrist substantially 90 degrees in a first direction (e.g., counterclockwise) during a backward swing and to rotate his or her wrist substantially 90 degrees in a second direction opposite the first direction (e.g., clockwise) during a forward swing thereby causing the toy to at least partially spin (e.g., from top up to top down, etc.) once released by the user at the end of the user's upward swing.

Moreover, depending on the environment in which the toy is being played, for example, an environment where the target is surrounded by sand might involve game rules that require the front (or nose) of the toy to stick in the sand much like a lawn dart in order to score points. In contrast, an environment where a target is surrounded by a hard surface (e.g., hard dirt or a backyard lawn) may allow a user to skip (or bounce) the toy across the surface such that it slides into a target (e.g., a stake) such as often occurs in a game of horseshoes. Alternatively, a target might be above a surface such as a disc golf basket, or a ring or net attached to the side of a tree or on a pole extending from the ground. Generally, different environments and different target combinations may result in games having various rules that allow or disallow certain throwing motions or even require or limit certain flight characteristics, for example, a rule may require a tossed toy to achieve a height at least equal to the height of the user that tossed the toy while in flight or the toy may not be allowed to travel higher than the height of the user tossing the toy, etc. Similarly, a rule may require a toy to bounce on a surface at least once on the way to a target or might not allow a toy to bounce on the way to a target, etc.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, instead of the toy being tossed only by a user's hand, a tossing mechanism can be used, where the toy can be placed (or loaded) into the tossing mechanism and the tossing mechanism can then be used to toss the toy or otherwise cause it to be launched or propelled towards a target. The tossing mechanism could be, for example, a lacrosse stick. Alternatively, a tossing mechanism such as a catapult or a sling shot could be used to propel the toy towards a target.

FIGS. 4A-4D depict top, side, front, and rear views of another exemplary toy 400 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4A, a toy 400 comprises a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106. The gliding portion 102 includes a first cavity 402 extending from the left side of the gliding portion 102 through the gliding portion 102 to the right side of the gliding portion 102 at a location towards the front of the gliding portion 102. The first cavity 402 is user accessible allowing a mass 404, such as a metal rod, to be placed in the first cavity 402 by the user to affect flight characteristics of the toy 400. The toy 400 also includes a second cavity 406, which may or may not be accessible by a user. Under one arrangement, the second cavity may 406 correspond to an inaccessible bladder that might contain air, water, sand, or some other substance intended for providing mass or buoyancy to the toy. Under another arrangement, the second cavity 406 corresponds to an air bladder, where a user of the toy can pump air into the second cavity 406 via a hole 408 such as the hole of an inflation valve such commonly found in basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, and other such inflatable sports equipment or as the hole of air valves commonly used with inflatable items such as beach balls, swimming tube rings, air mattresses, and the like used at the beach or in a swimming pool. Under yet another arrangement, the hole 408 may enable a user to provide sand, water, or some other substance to the second cavity 406, where a user might have to remove a threaded component of some sort to open a hole 408 to have access to the second cavity 406.

In accordance with an optional aspect of the invention depicted in FIG. 4A, the gripping portion 106 may include a thumb placement region 410 that might have a shape, for example a convex shape, intended to conform to the shape of a thumb so as to provide a better grip. Similarly, the gripping portion 106 might have a raised lip region 411 intended to provide a user a better grip.

In accordance with another optional aspect of the invention depicted in FIGS. 4A-4D, the bottom of the gliding portion 102 of a toy 400 can have a hollow volume 112, which is much like various versions of flying discs such as a Frisbee® by Wham-O®.

In accordance with still another optional aspect of the invention depicted in FIGS. 4A-4D, the top of the gliding portion 102 of a toy 400 may have a raised top 414 having a width that extends from a right boundary 416a to a left boundary 416b and with a upper boundary 418 in between the right and left boundaries 416a and 416b, where the raised top 414 of the gliding portion 102 is rounded from the left boundary 416a to the upper boundary 418 and from the upper boundary 418 to the right boundary 416b and the raised top 414 is also rounded from the back of the opening 108 in the front of the toy 400 to the back of the gliding portion 102 of the toy 400 such that the rounded raised top 414 resembles a cockpit of a fighter aircraft. A raised top 414 can be provided to make the toy more aesthetic and can also be provided to enable a larger second cavity 406.

FIG. 4E depicts three exemplary masses 404a-404c, which represent a low mass 404a, a medium mass 404b, and a high mass 404c, that can be placed into first cavity 402 of the toy 400. Alternatively, a mass 404 may comprise multiple components such as end components 418a and 418b having respective threaded female portions 420a and 420b and a middle portion 422 having threaded male portions 424a and 424b on opposing ends that can be screwed into the female portions 420a and 420b of the two end components 418a and 418b to form a mass 404 such as depicted in FIGS. 4F and 4G. Such an arrangement enables end components 418 having different masses to be used thereby enabling a user to configure a mass 404 that it is heavier on the right side than on the left side, or vice versa, so as to affect the flight characteristics of the toy. Generally, one skilled in the art will recognize that one or more first cavities having corresponding masses can be used to affect the flight characteristics of a toy 400.

The mass 404 used in a first cavity and the contents of a second cavity 406 can also be selected to affect the buoyancy characteristics of a toy that is floating in water 502 (or some other liquid). For example, a high mass 404 may cause the toy 400 to ‘stand up’ more vertically in the water 502 then when a low mass 404 is used such as depicted in FIG. 5. Similarly, by pumping air into the second cavity 406 the amount of the toy that will stay above water can be controlled. Generally, one skilled in the art will understand that one or more first cavities 402 providing a mass 404 can be used with one or more second cavities 406 providing mass or buoyancy to tailor the flight and/or buoyancy characteristics of the toy 400.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention depicted in FIG. 6A, an opening 108 of an exemplary toy 600 may include a hook 602 and a hooked region 604. Referring to FIG. 6A, a toy 600 includes a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106. The gliding portion 102 includes an opening 108 having a hook 602 on each side of the opening 108. The two hooks 602 produce two corresponding hooked regions 604. Generally, the opening can be shaped to resemble that of a horseshoe used in modern horseshoe competitions. FIG. 6B depicts a toy 606 that includes a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106, where the gliding portion 102 includes an opening 108 that is shaped to resemble the opening 108 of a horseshoe 608. Referring to FIG. 6B, the horseshoe 608 has hooks 602, hooked regions 604, points 610, and a ringer breaker 612. The ringer breaker is shown as extending outward from the bottom of the opening 108 but could optionally be a recessed area such as depicted by the dotted line. Generally, a ringer breaker 612 is intended to slow the spinning of a horseshoe about a stake. The opening 108 of the toy 606 has hooks 602, hooked regions 604, and a ringer breaker 612 that resemble those of the horseshoe 608. The toy 604 also has guide slopes 614 on the sides of the opening 108, which are intended to guide a stake further into the opening 108.

FIG. 6C depicts an exemplary toy 614 having an opening 108 with certain characteristics similar to those of the opening of the toy 600 of FIG. 6A and the toy 606 of FIG. 6B. Referring to FIG. 6C, a toy 614 includes a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106, where the gliding portion 102 includes an opening 108 having hooks 602, hooked regions 604, and guide slopes 614.

FIGS. 6D and 6E depict exemplary toys 616 and 618 each having a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106, where the gliding portion 102 includes an opening 108. The two openings 108 are shown to have guide slopes 614 but do not have hooks 602 or hooked regions 604. Instead the opening 108 of the toy 616 of FIG. 6D has straight sides and a flat bottom while the opening 108 of the toy 618 of FIG. 6E is circular in shape. Generally, one skilled in the art will understand that all sorts of shapes are possible for an opening 108 of a toy in accordance with the invention and that various combinations of hooks, hooked regions, guide slopes, ringer breakers and other such features are possible.

FIGS. 7A-7D depict top, side, front and rear views of yet another exemplary toy 700 in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 7A, the toy 700 includes a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106. The gliding portion 102 of the toy 700 includes an opening 108. The toy 700 has a shape intended to make it make it easier for the front of the toy 700 to stick into sand or soft dirt, where the sides of the gliding portion 102 are angled towards the front of the toy and the front (or nose) of the toy is less round and more pointed. One other feature of the toy 700 is that part of the gripping portion 106 is thicker than the other portions of the toy 700.

FIGS. 8A-8D depict top, side, front and rear views of yet another exemplary toy 800 in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 8A, the toy 800 includes a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106. The gliding portion 102 of the toy 800 includes an opening 108. Similar to the gliding portion 102 of the toy 700 of FIGS. 7A-7D, the gliding portion 102 of the toy 800 is angled towards the front of the toy 800. A notable feature of the toy 800 is that its cross-section from the front to the back of the toy as shown in the side view of FIG. 8B has a somewhat symmetrical top and bottom where the pointed portion of the front (or nose) of the toy 800 is approximately along a central axis of the toy 800 as shown by the dotted line. Another feature of the toy 800 is that the cross-section from side-to-side of the toy depicted in FIG. 8C has a symmetrical airfoil-like shape resembling a flying disc, where the cross-sections get smaller and smaller from the rear of the gliding portion 102 to the front of the gliding portion 102 as represented by the outermost and innermost disc shaped lines.

FIGS. 9A-9D depict top, side, front, and rear views of another exemplary toy 900 in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 9A, the toy 900 includes a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106. The gliding portion 102 of the toy 800 includes an opening 108. Similar to the toy 400 of FIGS. 4A-4D, the toy 900 of FIGS. 9A-9D has a raised top 414. The toy 900 also has winglets 902, where the parts of the gliding portion 102 between the raised top 414 and winglets 902 resemble wings 904 having an airfoil shape. The top 900 also includes a tail fin 906. As such, the toy 900 resembles a plane with the exception of the opening 108 in the front of the toy 900.

Generally, the gliding portion 102 of a toy in accordance with the invention can have a shape comparable to various aircraft having lifting body designs where the front of the gliding portion 102 has an opening 108 enabling the toy to capture a target such as a stake 112. FIGS. 10A-10C depict a first example of how a design of an aircraft can be modified to produce a toy in accordance with the invention. In FIGS. 10A and 10B, a top view and oblique projection view of a United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Shuttle 1000 are provided. In FIG. 10C, a toy 1002 is depicted having a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106, where the gliding portion includes an opening 108. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 10A and 10C, the gliding portion 102 of the toy 1002 substantially resembles the Space Shuttle 1000 except the rear of the gliding portion 102 interfaces with a flexible portion 104 and a gripping portion 106 instead of the engines, and the front of the gliding portion has an opening 108.

FIGS. 11A-11D depict a second example of how a design of an aircraft can be modified to produce a toy in accordance with the invention. In FIGS. 11A-11C, a top view and two oblique projection views of a United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) HL-20 Personnel Launch System 1100 are provided. In FIG. 11D, a toy 1102 is depicted having a gliding portion 102, a flexible portion 104, and a gripping portion 106, where the gliding portion includes an opening 108. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 11A and 11D, the gliding portion 102 of the toy 1102 substantially resembles the HL-20 Personnel Launch System 1100 except the rear of the gliding portion 102 interfaces with a flexible portion 104 and a gripping portion 106 instead of the engines, and the front of the gliding portion 102 has an opening 108.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a toy such as the exemplary toy 400 of FIGS. 4A-4D can be tossed towards various types of targets such as those shown in FIGS. 12A-12N. FIG. 12A depicts a toys 400a and 400b that have been tossed towards a ring 1200 placed on a flat surface 1200, for example, the ground in someone's back yard. The first toy 404a is shown being entirely with the ring 1200 and the second toy 404b is shown lying across the ring 1200. FIG. 12B depicts a stake 112 that is sticking out of the ground 1202, where the toy 400 has successfully captured the stake 112 inside its opening 108 thereby scoring a ringer. FIG. 12C depicts a target made up of a combination of a stake 112 and a ring 1200. FIG. 12D depicts a target that is a person's hand 206. FIG. 12E depicts a game board 1204 having one or more holes 1206 in which a toy 400 can be tossed. FIG. 12F depicts a net 1208 that is sitting on a flat surface 1202. FIG. 12G depicts three toys 400a-400c that have been tossed towards ball 1210 lying on a beach 1212. FIG. 12H depicts a disc golf basket target 214 placed in the ground 1202. FIG. 12I depicts three toys 400a-400c floating near a ring 1200 floating in water 502. Two of the toys 400a and 400b are floating within the ring and the other toy 400c is floating outside the ring. The ring 1200 may be optionally held in place by weighted objects 1216, for example, bags full of sand lying on the bottom of a water body (e.g., ocean or lake) tied to ropes 1220 tied to the ring 1200. FIG. 12J depicts rings 1222 attached to a float 1224 floating in water 502, for example, water of a swimming pool. FIG. 12K depicts a basket 1226 attached to a float 1224 floating in water 502. FIG. 12L depicts a ring 1200 attached to a pole 1222. FIG. 12M depicts rings 1200 attached to poles 1222 such that they are different heights above the surface of a beach 1212. The poles 1222 could also serve as stakes that might be captured by a toy. FIG. 12N depicts a target 1228 that can spin, which is attached to a pole 1222.

Certain targets such as those previously described can be used in pairs, for example, two rings 1200 or stakes 112 may be placed some distance apart much like stakes in a game of horseshoes such that players can alternate throwing towards each target. Multiple targets can also be played in sequence such as a sequence of disc golf basket targets.

Obstacles may also be used near targets where an obstacle may be fixed or moving (e.g., a spinning windmill like seen at certain miniature golf courses). An obstacle may be floating such that it moves with the motion of waves or may be water that is sprayed near a target such that might alter the flight of a toy.

Generally, the tossable toy of the invention can be used in all sorts of game scenarios including individual and team games which might involve multiple players on a team where the players are moving about on a playing field (e.g., a lacrosse-like game or ultimate), multiple players that take turns tossing one or more toys at a target (e.g., like darts), individual players or pairs of players that toss toys at opposing or a sequence of targets (e.g., like horseshoes, lawn darts, or disc golf), and so on. Typically, the toy is tossed by a person standing on the ground or in water towards a target that is on the ground (or sand), above the ground (or sand), in water, or above water. However, a game may instead involve a person tossing the toy from a moving vehicle or animal (e.g., a horse) or tossing the toy towards a target on a moving vehicle or animal.

Optional features that can be used with the toy in accordance with the invention may include a parachute that deploys from the back of the toy (e.g., the back of the gliding portion 102 or from the back of the gripping portion 106), one or more suction cups located on the front of the toy (e.g., one on each side of the opening 108), a cockpit that can be opened and closed within which a ‘pilot’ figure can be placed, and/or a sponge-like feature on the front of the toy in which a colored liquid could be absorbed prior to tossing.

In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, toys can be color-coded, can have symbols associated with them, or otherwise have markings used to identify which toy(s) have been tossed by a particular user among a plurality of users that are tossing toys towards a target, where one user may be tossing red toys and another user may be tossing blue toys, and so on.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the toy can be manufactured as a single piece using a mold and a semi-flexible material such as a rubber, a plastic, silicon, a polymer such as Polyethylene, etc. Alternatively, the toy can be manufacturing and assembling multiple pieces as long as the toy is configured such that the gliding portion 102 and gripping portion 106 are substantially rigid and the flexible portion 104 that is between the gliding portion 102 and gripping portion 106 can bend. Optionally, the gripping portion 106 can both be bendable and visibly appear as one portion relative to the gliding portion 102 as long as the rear of the toy can be gripped by a user such that the toy can bend while being tossed. Moreover, any given portion of the toy (i.e., gliding, griping, or flexible) may be a solid piece of material or may have one or more hollow volumes within it. A hollow portion may be configured to hold a gas (e.g., air), a liquid, or a solid (e.g., a foam or sand), where the hollow portion and its contents may be configured to provide the toy buoyancy such that it will float in water (e.g., water of a swimming pool, lake, ocean, bath tub, etc.), to enable the toy to bounce, and/or to provide mass used to affect the gliding characteristics of the toy and/or to cause the rear of the toy to point substantially upward when the toy is floating in water. As such, under one arrangement, the toy may be manufactured by providing a material to a mold where the material can then harden, where optionally, one or more objects may be placed within the mold along with the material such that it can then harden about the one or more objects. An object placed into the mold might be, for example, a bladder or a rigid component intended to provide rigidity to a portion of the toy (e.g., the gliding portion 102), whereas the material may be intended to provide a flexible padding about the object.

Under an alternative arrangement, the toy might be manufactured by using a first mold and a first material (e.g., a material that becomes relatively rigid when hardened) and then, after the first material has hardened, placing the partially manufactured toy into a second mold where a second material (e.g., a material that is relatively flexible when hardened) can then solidify to provide an outer cushioning layer to the toy. With this approach the partially manufactured toy might only correspond to gliding portion of the toy.

Generally, it is desirable that the toy absorb an impact with an object such that the toy would not cause damage to the object (e.g., not dent the side of a vehicle) while at the same time it is desirable that the gliding portion of the toy have sufficient firmness such that it will be durable and have consistent gliding characteristics during its lifetime. As such, a multi-material approach may be used involving a rigid material covered by a absorbing material or a material might be used that provides both firmness sufficient to maintain the shape of the gliding portion during flight but having sufficient ‘give’ when coming into contact with an object so as to not damage the object.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited thereto, since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings.

Claims

1. A tossable toy having a top, a bottom, a front, a left side, a right side, and a back, comprising:

a gliding portion configured to provide lift to the tossable toy during flight between a user having tossed the tossable toy and a target towards which the tossable toy has been tossed by the user, said gliding portion having an opening at the front of said tossable toy, said opening having a front boundary, said opening being configured to receive said target within said opening and behind said front boundary;

a gripping portion located at the back of said tossable toy; and

a flexible portion located between said gliding portion and said gripping portion.

2. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the gliding portion from the front of the tossable toy towards the back of the tossable toy resembles an airfoil.

3. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the tossable toy is flat.

4. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein the top of the tossable toy has a curvature.

5. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said target is a stake.

6. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said tossable toy is configured to enable a user to grip said gripping portion with a thumb and index finder of a first hand of said user and hold said gliding portion with a second hand of said user in order to maintain said tossable toy in a substantially straight orientation along a reference axis extending from the front of the tossable toy to the back of the tossable toy and use a pendulum swing motion comprising a backward swing followed by a forward swing that ends with the user releasing said gripping portion of said tossable toy in order to toss said tossable toy towards said target, said reference axis being substantially parallel to a surface upon which the user is standing when tossing said tossable toy, said flexible portion enabling said gliding portion to rotate in a first direction relative to said gripping portion during said backward swing and enabling said gliding portion to rotate in a second direction relative to said gripping portion during said forward swing, said second direction being opposite said first direction.

7. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said gliding portion includes a cavity for receiving a mass.

8. The tossable toy of claim 7, wherein said cavity extends from the left side of the gliding portion through the gliding portion to the right side of the gliding portion at a location towards the front of the gliding portion.

9. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said gliding portion includes a cavity that provides buoyancy to said tossable toy.

10. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said cavity corresponds to an air bladder.

11. The tossable toy of claim 10, a user can pump air into said cavity via a hole.

12. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said gliding portion includes a first cavity for receiving a mass and a second cavity for receiving a mass or providing buoyancy to said tossable toy.

13. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said opening comprises a hook.

14. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said opening comprises a hooked region.

15. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said opening comprises a point.

16. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said opening comprises a guide slope.

17. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said opening comprises a ringer breaker.

18. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein said opening resembles a horseshoe used in horseshoe tossing competitions.

19. The tossable toy of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the gliding portion from the left side to the right side of the tossable has a symmetrical airfoil-like shape resembling a flying disc.

20. The tossable toy of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a winglet or a tail fin.