Extreme Distance/Velocity Disc Projectile Throwing Toy

Abstract

A disc projectile throwing toy includes a disc placeable in and throwable from the toy, a handle section, and a launching section hingedly attached to and whippably rotatable with respect to the handle section. The distal end of the launching section includes a disc holder adapted to releasably hold the disc. The disc holder has a proximal disc gripper and a distal disc gripper each gripping the disc independently of the other. When the disc is inserted into the disc holder and the launching section is whipped with respect to the handle section, the disc holder releases the disc. The distal disc gripper has a greater gripping force on the disc than the proximal disc gripper, causing the disc to leave the proximal gripper first and then the distal gripper when thrown. This sequential release of the disc imparts rotational motion to the disc.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention is directed to projectile toys. More specifically the invention is directed to devices that enable users to throw lightweight disc-shaped projectiles a great distance with great velocity in a safe manner.

2. Description of Related Art

Toy projectile throwing devices have been in use for decades. Some have been designed especially for enabling a dog owner to play fetch with the dog without touching a bespittled tennis ball. One such device is marketed as the Chucklt ball thrower and appears in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,076,829 and D424,640, both to Oblack. The Chucklt device is a flexible ball holder with a ball grabber at one end and a handle at the other roughly 18 inches away. The ball grabber enables the user to pick up a tennis ball on the ground that has been in the dog's mouth, and the 18-inch handle allows the user to a) retrieve the tennis ball from the ground without bending all the way down to get it, and b) throw the ball much further than simply by hand owing to greater leverage. Yet, the throwing distance actually achievable by the Chucklt, while usually greater than throwing simply by hand, is still not that impressive.

Several other toy projectile throwing devices have a taken the ChuckIt concept a step further and provide a two-sectioned ball throwing device. Some examples of these can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,681 to Levin, US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0227721 to Geller, and US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0025699 to Mongkolkasetarin. In both Levin and Geller, the device comes in two sections that are lockable in an extended configuration for greater extension and closable into a collapsed configuration for storage purposes. The devices are still meant to be used in the same manner as the Chucklt device. By contrast, Mongkolkasetarin envisions not locking the two sections but rather enabling the shorter distal section to pivot with respect to the longer proximal section during use, thereby enabling the user to “whip” the ball or rubber toy further. While an improvement, even Mongkolkasetarin does not result in a device capable of throwing projectiles extremely long distances, in the order of 300 feet or more.

Another class of throwing toys is the flying disc, made popular by, among others, Wham-O's Frisbee® flying disc. Flying discs are usually thrown by hand. The distance flying discs can be thrown is greatly determined/limited by the skill and strength of the thrower. A typical flying disc requires a throwing motion in which the user bends both her elbow and her wrist, so that the disc not only goes flying out of the person's hand upon completion of the maneuver but also rotates significantly (e.g., 100-300 rpm). This is a complicated motion that requires a lot of practice, much to the detriment of the potential catcher and/or surrounding windows, automobiles, and anything else an errant disc might strike.

Some attempts to create of device for throwing or launching various disc-like items appear in U.S. Pat. No. 8,539,939 to Minneman, U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,601 to Christensen, U.S. Pat. No. 8,202,180 to Perry-Smith, 7900617 to Kersh, and 7895995 to Simon. All of these either have complicated or unnatural throwing motions and/or do not impart sufficient rotation or force to the disc or are difficult to manufacture or aim.

There is a long-felt need for a toy projectile throwing device that can enable a user as small as a child to throw a projectile such as a flying disc extremely long distances in a safe manner without expending a great deal of energy and without posing a danger to anyone attempting to catch the projectile or otherwise in the vicinity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a long-distance projectile throwing toy. It has two sections: a handle section and a launching section hingedly/pivotably attached at one end to the handle section. The proximal end of the handle section includes a handle for the user to hold the device comfortably. The distal end of the launching section includes a ball or disc holder for gently securing a ball or disc or similar projectile sufficiently securely not to fall out readily but loosely enough to allow the ball or disc to come flying out when the device is whipped by the user.

The device is configurable into at least two and preferably three configurations by sliding a switch or pulling/releasing a spring biased trigger that cooperates with/abuts against various ramped portions of the proximal end of the launching section. A throwing configuration keeps the launching section at an minimum angle of approximately 40-50° to maximize the force imparted to the projectile and thus its distance and speed. A collapsed configuration enables the launching section to be substantially parallel with the handle section (i.e., having an angle of substantially 0°), enabling the device to be stored or shipped more easily. A locked extended configuration is also optionally provided in which the launching section extends substantially straight out from the handle section (i.e., having an angle of substantially 180°).

In the ball or similar round projectile embodiment, the ball holder preferably includes two prongs, and the distal-most prong preferably includes teeth, ridges, a roughened area, or some other means of increasing the coefficient of friction between the projectile and the ball holder. Such teeth, ridges, etc. are preferably provided only on the distal-most prong to impart backspin to the projectile as it leaves the ball holder to enhance the projectile's flight characteristics, e.g., facilitating controllable curved flight paths via both high speeds and substantial backspin. Preferably, the other prong includes a partially beveled surface that crowns substantially in the middle so as to make it more difficult to load inappropriate projectiles such as rocks, chunks of metal, glass, or other dangerous items made from hard non-conformable materials.

Preferably, the two sections are approximately the same length. Preferably, the projectile is on the order of 8-25 grams, and more preferably 10-15 grams. Preferably, the projectile is dimpled in the manner of a golf ball to enhance its flight characteristics. In one embodiment, the projectile is a foam polymer such as polyurethane or the like. In any event, it is preferred that the projectile be made from a conformable material so that, among other things, the teeth/ridges of the distal-most prong of the ball holder can properly engage the projectile to impart the above-mentioned backspin.

The preferred projectile is adapted to be disposed in and released from said ball holder and is dimensioned slightly larger than the gap between the first and second ball holder prongs and made from a conformable material.

In the disc projectile embodiment, much of the handle section, the launching section, and the angle delimiting structure is the same, however the disc holder preferably includes at least two disc grippers or sections: a proximal gripper/section and a distal gripper/section. The distal gripper/section has greater/stronger gripping force than the proximal gripper/section so that, when the user whips the device, the disc more easily pops out of the proximal gripper/section while still being retained for a short time in the distal gripper/section. This causes the disc to spin with great rotational velocity as it eventually leaves the distal gripper/section. In one embodiment, the inner gripping surfaces of the distal gripper/section have a higher coefficient of friction with respect to the disc than the inner gripping surfaces of the proximal gripper/section. In another embodiment, the proximal gripper/section includes detent bumps that are easily overcome, while the distal gripper/section includes tighter webs that flex and spread apart when the disc is being flung thereout. Preferably, the distal webs include ramped portions that are pushed apart as the disc rotates through the distal gripper/section.

The preferred projectile is a disc adapted to be disposed in and released from said disc holder and is dimensioned slightly larger than the gap between the detent bumps in the proximal gripper/section and the webs in the distal gripper/section. Preferably, the disc has an annular ridge or flange that clicks into the disc grippers/sections so as to be securely held therein.

The invention herein is a disc projectile throwing toy, having a handle section holdable by a user and a launching section. The launching section has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end hingedly attached to and whippably rotatable with respect to the handle section, and the distal end including a disc holder adapted to releasably hold a disc projectile. The disc holder has a proximal disc gripper/section and a distal disc gripper/section, the distal disc gripper gripping a disc projectile independently of the proximal disc gripper. When a disc is inserted into the disc holder and the launching section is whipped with respect to the handle section, the disc holder releases the disc.

Preferably, the disc projectile throwing toy includes an angular delimiter disposed on one of a distal end of the handle section and the proximal end of the launching section and engageable with a first ramped portion disposed on the other of the distal end of the handle section and the proximal end of the launching section. When the angular delimiter is engaged with the first ramped portion, the launching section is placed in a cocked position at an angle of approximately 40-50° to the handle section neither parallel to nor collinear with the handle section. The handle section and the launching section are preferably substantially the same length.

Preferably, the first ramped portion is disposed on the launching section, and the angular delimiter is disposed on the handle section and spring-biased into engageability with the first ramped portion. The angular delimiter preferably further includes a boss portion at a delimiter distal end engageable with the first ramped portion. The angular delimiter preferably further includes a trigger mechanically coupled to the boss portion adapted to allow the user to retract the angular delimiter proximally against the spring bias out of engageability with the first ramped portion.

Preferably, a first gripping force of the distal disc gripper/section on a disc inserted into the disc holder is greater than a second gripping force of the proximal disc gripper/section on the disc inserted into the disc holder. When a disc is inserted into the disc holder and the launching section is whipped with respect to the handle section by a user, the disc first leaves the proximal disc gripper/section, pivots around the distal disc gripper/section, and then leaves the distal disc gripper/section.

The proximal disc gripper/section preferably includes two proximal webs between which a disc is releasably placeable. Preferably, at least one detent bump is formed on at least one inner gripping surface of the proximal webs, the at least one detent bump being engageable with a disc when the disc is placed in the disc holder.

Preferably, the distal disc gripper/section further includes two distal webs tapered toward each other to form a narrow section at a proximal end of the distal disc gripper/section. The narrow section at the proximal end of the distal disc gripper/section is preferably the narrowest portion of the disc holder. Preferably, a pair of ramps is respectively disposed on a rear side of the distal webs. When the launching section is whipped with respect to the handle section, a disc in the distal disc gripper/section pivots around the narrow section and engages the ramps, thereby pushing the distal webs apart and thereby releasing the disc from the distal disc gripper/section.

The invention herein also includes a disc projectile throwing toy having a disc releasably placeable in and throwable from the toy, a handle section holdable by a user, and a launching section. The launching section has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being hingedly attached to and whippably rotatable with respect to the handle section, and the distal end including a disc holder adapted to releasably hold the disc, the disc holder having a proximal disc gripper/section and a distal disc gripper/section, the distal disc gripper/section gripping the disc independently of the proximal disc gripper. When the disc is inserted into the disc holder and the launching section is whipped with respect to the handle section, the disc holder releases the disc.

The disc preferably includes an at least partially circumferential ridge releasably engageable with the disc holder.

The proximal disc gripper/section preferably further includes two proximal webs between which the disc is releasably placeable. At least one detent bump is preferably formed on at least one inner gripping surface of the proximal webs, the at least one detent bump engageable with the ridge on disc when the disc is placed in the disc holder.

The distal disc gripper/section preferably includes two distal webs tapered toward each other to form a narrow section at a proximal end of the distal disc gripper/section. The narrow section is preferably the narrowest portion of the disc holder. A pair of ramps are preferably respectively disposed on a rear side of the distal webs. When the launching section is whipped with respect to the handle section and the disc is placed in the disc holder, the disc pivots around the narrow section and engages the ramps, thereby pushing the distal webs apart and thereby releasing the disc from the distal disc gripper/section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of one embodiment of a projectile throwing toy in accordance with the invention in its throwing configuration.

FIG. 2 is perspective view of the projectile throwing toy of FIG. 1 in its storage or collapsed configuration.

FIG. 3 is perspective view of the projectile throwing toy of FIGS. 1 and 2 in its extended configuration.

FIGS. 4A-C are enlarged perspective views of the hinged joint of the projectile throwing toy of FIGS. 1-3 in its extended, throwing, and storage configurations, respectively.

FIG. 5A is a side perspective view of the launching arm of the projectile throwing toy of FIGS. 1-3 detached from the rest of the device.

FIG. 5B is a side elevational view of the launching arm of the projectile throwing toy of FIGS. 1-3 detached from the rest of the device.

FIG. 5C is a front perspective view of the launching arm of the projectile throwing toy of FIGS. 1-3 detached from the rest of the device.

FIG. 5D is an enlarged perspective view of the lower prong of the ball grabber of the projectile throwing toy of FIGS. 1-3 taken from detail 5D in FIG. 5C.

FIG. 5E is an enlarged perspective view of the ball grabber of the projectile throwing toy of FIGS. 1-3 taken from detail 5E in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the hub of the launching arm of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7A-C are a series of perspective diagrams illustrating control of the flight plan of the projectile in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustrating the preferred basic method of operation of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of the angular delimiter of a projectile throwing toy in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 10 is a side cutaway perspective of the angular delimiter of FIG. 9 engaging with the ramped portion of the hub of the launching section of a projectile throwing toy in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a disc throwing toy in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the disc holder of the disc throwing toy of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a front elevation view of the disc holder of the disc throwing toy of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the distal disc gripper of the disc throwing toy of FIG. 11.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a disc in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 16A-D are a series of schematics depicting the stages of the release of a disc from the disc holder in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective portion of the disc being released from the disc holder in accordance with the invention as taken from detail 17 from FIG. 16C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND DRAWINGS

Description will now be given with reference to the attached FIGS. 1-17, with the ball throwing embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-10 and the disc/ring throwing embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-17. It should be understood that these figures are exemplary in nature and in no way serve to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims appearing hereinbelow.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, projectile launcher 8 includes a handle section 10 and a launching section 10 hingedly attached together. Handle section 10 includes a proximal end 12 having a handle grip 13 for the user to hold the device comfortably and a distal end 14 having at least one (and preferably two) flange 15. Handle section optionally also includes a reserve ball magazine 18 having one or more ball retaining grips 19 for holding extra balls 60.

Launching section 20 includes a proximal end 22 and a distal end 24. Proximal end 22 is held to flanges 15 via a pin (not shown) in a manner to allow substantially free rotation (up to a point, as discussed below) of launching section 20 with respect to handle section 10. Distal end 14 of handle section 10 and proximal end 22 of launching section 20 together form hinge 40. Distal end 24 includes a ball holder 30 (to be described below) adapted to retain a lightweight ball 60 or similar projectile.

Disposed on handle section 10 near distal end 14 is a configuration switch 50, slidably disposed within groove/slot 52. As shown in FIGS. 4A-C, sliding the configuration switch 50 into one of three positions enables launcher 8 to be configured into one of the three configurations shown in FIGS. 1-3: throwing or “cocked” (FIGS. 1, 4B), which enables the user to hurl ball 60 or a similar lightweight projectile vast distances; storage (FIGS. 2, 4C), which enables the user to collapse the device to a small size for storage or the manufacturer/distributor to minimize packaging and shipping costs; and extended (FIGS. 3, 4A), which enables the user to use the device in a manner similar to the ChuckIt device, or as a bludgeoning device, a sword, or similar weapon-like toy.

In the throwing configuration of FIG. 1, the user grasps handle 13 and places ball 60 into ball holder 30. Owing to the relationship of hinge 40 and configuration switch 50, launching section 20 does not lay flatly against handle section 10. Rather, in the “cocked” position as shown, launcher section 20 is at an angle α to handle section 10. Angle α is preferably in the range of about 40-50° and more preferably is approximately 45°. Instead of starting from a completely flat 0° position with respect to the handle section 10, providing the starting angle α maximizes the force delivered to the projectile, thereby also typically maximizing its speed and distance, while minimizing the effort required to fling the ball. This is owing, in part, to a reduction of the angular distance one must impel the launching section from rest to release positions. Also, this is the most energy efficient position of ball holder 30 in as it converts the user throwing motion into rotational acceleration. If the angle of ball holder 30 were significantly smaller than 45 degrees, there would be slower acceleration of ball holder around pivot point. If the angle of ball holder 30 were significantly greater than 45 degrees, there would be a quicker acceleration of ball holder around pivot point which would cause projectile to egress ball holder before all throwing energy could be converted into rotation acceleration.

In the simplest aspect of the invention, the user performs a whipping motion (see FIG. 8) which causes launching section 20 to rotate rapidly about hinge 40 in the direction of arrow A. As launching section 20 rotates, centripetal force causes ball 60 to fly out of ball holder 30 a great distance. At the end of the throwing motion, device 8 is in its extended configuration as shown in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5A-E depicts various details of launching section 20. FIG. 5E is a view of ball holder 30, which preferably includes a first arm or prong 32 at the very end of distal end 24 and a second arm 34 proximal to first arm 32. Ball holder 30 is generally arcuate or C-shaped; preferably, first arm/prong 32 is longer than second arm 34. First arm or prong 32 includes teeth 33 that serve to create a higher coefficient of friction between a ball 60 disposed in ball holder 30. By providing teeth 33 preferably only on the first arm/prong 32, the top of the ball will be held onto by the ball holder longer and more securely than the bottom of the ball. Consequently, a ball being thrown will tend to spin in a direction opposite to the flight path, i.e., it is provided with backspin. This backspin creates the Magnus effect or lift which imparts excellent flight characteristics when coupled with the high velocity imparted in the throw, as described below.

FIG. 5D is an overall elevational view of launching section 20. Launching section 20 is preferably curved instead of straight. This curvature causes ball holder 30 to point in a direction greater than perpendicular to the overall axis of launching section 20. Alternatively, launching section 20 may be straight and prongs 32/34 be angled slightly greater than perpendicular to a long axis of launching section 20. A preferred angle of prongs 32/34 with respect to launching section 20 is about 10-20° greater than perpendicular (i.e., away from launching section 20). Pointing ball holder 30 in such a manner facilitates the egress of projectiles from ball holder 30 as the launching section is deployed.

FIG. 5C is an enlarged view of second prong 34. Preferably, the contour or profile of second prong 34 includes a crowned or beveled section 35 that cants downward from the middle to the sides. This beveled shape will dig into a conformable material such as foam polymer or rubber but will make it extremely difficult to insert a projectile made from a non-coformable material such as rock, glass, metal, or the like. This serves to dissuade use of improper projectiles that can injure a person on the receiving end of a throw or in the general vicinity of use.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevational view of the proximal end of launching section 20 which is pivotably/hingedly attached to the distal end of handle section 10 at hub 42. Hub 42 includes a central bore 41 through which launching section is rotatably pinned or bolted to flanges 15 of handle section 10. If hub 42 were simply round, then launching section 20 would simply freely rotate about hinge 40 from 0-180° with respect to handle section 10. However, hub 42 has several ramped regions that interact with angular delimiter switch 50 when switch 50 is disposed in a given position within slot 52. When angular delimiter switch 50 is pushed fully distally as shown in FIG. 4A, ramped regions 44 abut against the distal end of switch 50, locking the device in its extended configuration of about 180° with respect to handle section 10. When angular delimiter switch 50 is pushed into its intermediate position as shown in FIG. 4B ramped region 46 abuts against the distal end of angular delimiter switch 50 to prevent launching section 20 from swinging any closer to handle section 10 than the above-mentioned angle α, thereby maximizing flight characteristics. When angular delimiter switch 50 is pushed fully proximally as shown in FIG. 4C, hub 42 will not engage switch 50 at all, thereby allowing launching section 20 to swing directly atop handle section 10 at roughly 0° in the collapsed/storage configuration. Alternatively, another ramped section (not shown) can be provided on hub 42 that will engage switch 50 and help to lock launching section 20 in the storage configuration.

Another version of the angular delimiter of the invention is shown in FIGS. 9-10 as angular delimiter trigger switch 150. Instead of a relatively short switch 50 slidable within slot 52 and having discrete “clickable” positions, switch 150 is nearly as long as the handle section and is spring-biased into engageability with hub 42 (see FIG. 10) to prevent rotation of the launching section beyond a predetermined angle. Switch 150 includes at its distal end boss section 152 which serves as the angular delimiting stopper when the first ramped portion 46 of hub 42 engages with the switch. At the proximal end of switch 150 is a trigger 154 which can be pulled on or otherwise moved in the direction of arrow C by the user to overcome the spring biasing force of spring 160 (FIG. 10) and move boss section 152 out of engageability with hub 42. In one example, trigger 154 includes a finger pull 156 adapted to be readily reachable by the finger of a user while the user is holding the device at handle 13.

It is envisioned that any type of mechanical linkage or connection can be used to transmit the pulling force of the user's finger on trigger 154 to boss section 152. However, the preferred mechanism is a simple shaft 158 that rides along handle section 10 and integrally connects boss section 152 to trigger 154. That is, in this embodiment, switch 150 is made from a single piece of material (apart from spring 160, which, in other embodiments, may be replaced with any other type of biasing mechanism, including one that could be integral with switch 150).

The preferred projectile for this embodiment is a lightweight sphere 60 made of a conformable material dimensioned very slightly larger than the gap between prongs 32/34 of the ball holder. In one embodiment, the projectile is a polyurethane foam golf-ball-sized ball, weighing approximately 10-15 grams. This is in contrast to a typical tennis ball, the conventional projectile for devices like these, which weighs roughly 50-60 grams. Dimples 62 are preferably provided on the surface of sphere 60. The dimples of the projectile induce turbulence in the layer of air next to the ball (the “boundary layer”). At high rotational speeds, a turbulent boundary layer created by said dimples reduces aerodynamic drag. The backspin of the ball creates a Magnus effect or aerodynamic lift which causes the projectile to rise as it travels. When the dimpling is combined with the backspin, the overall result is vast increase of the overall distance and controllable curved flight path achievable for a given throw of given force.

FIGS. 7A-C depict how one may control the contours of the curved flight plan of a thrown projectile simply by adjusting a) the final position of the arm within a throwing motion with respect to the sagittal plane of the body, and/or b) the angle of the entire throwing motion with respect to the ground. For instance, as shown in FIG. 7A, releasing the projectile high in the sagittal plane results in a high flying projectile. By contrast, as shown in FIG. 7B, releasing the projectile lower in the sagittal plane results in a low flying projectile, the “worm burner.” Both FIGS. 7A and B presume keeping the throwing motion substantially perpendicular to the ground (i.e., straight up and down). However, if one rotates one's entire throwing motion to an angle to the perpendicular, the curved flight plan of FIGS. 7A and B results in lateral curvature of the flight plan. An example of such a flight plan is depicted in FIG. 7C, where the user is throwing the ball with a side-arm motion closer to parallel to the ground than perpendicular. Although the projectile is released in center of the closest grid, the projectile curves to the left at 100 feet and curves substantially to the right at 200 feet. This is similar to the flight plan of FIG. 7A but rotated 90°. Other similar variations are possible and anticipated.

It is preferred that handle section 10 and launching section 20 be substantially the same length. The inventor has found that when the hand position offset is the same as the projectile's offset from the pivot point (in one embodiment, approximately 12 inches), a user can rapidly accelerate the lever with little effort using 10-15 gram projectiles such as those described above. As the projectile mass increases, the power required or stress felt while throwing also steeply increases. This is why conventional two-piece chucker devices have short levers with long handles, as they are throwing heavier projectiles such as tennis balls (˜50-60 grams).

By contrast, the invention allows a user, even a child, to throw lightweight projectiles far and fast. It is not feasible for a child to accelerate a 30 gram (or heavier) projectile to go to over 100 mph with little effort using any of the prior art devices. One-piece chuckers are simply too long or too heavy to accelerate rapidly without extreme stress and fatigue on the user. The two-piece chuckers stubby lever arms do not generate as much speed as a long lever arm.

The ‘sweet spot’ of the invention is that the combination of lever length (˜12 inches), the projectile mass (8-25 grams), and the 1:1 ratio of launching section (lever length) to the handle section (base length) are all greatly preferred for the superior results of the invention to emerge.

The inventive launcher has the ability to achieve both simultaneously high forward velocity and high rotational speeds required to get the above-mentioned flight characteristics. The ability to do both at same time by exploiting the catapulting/whip action of the lever that occurs by design is unexpectedly superior and never before seen in the prior art. Some prior launchers have somewhat exploited speed or ball rotation separately. A conventional track ball game made by Wham-o (of Woodland Hills, Calif.) included a launcher that exploited backspin but had no significant speed. Bows and arrows, slingshots, and the like exploit speed but no back spin. When compared to other launchers that achieve comparable speeds, they tend to have rubber bands or springs that store energy and suddenly release it, which can be a safety issue. By contrast, in the present invention, all of the power/speed is derived from the throwing action directly with no sudden or surprise release of energy. Moreover, with conventional stored energy launchers, the user pulls back and releases one's grip to shoot. By contrast, the invention utilizes a more direct throwing motion which lets the user feel/control the throw power and speed. It is a very direct and satisfying type of throwing action, whereas the others are more of a triggering type of high energy release.

Anticipated uses of the device using the preferred dimpled foam ball 60 include target-style games, distance games and competitions, combat-style games, and the like.

The same principles articulated above are also applicable to the inventive disc thrower 108 of FIGS. 11-16. Like elements are represented by like numerals, and their description will not be repeated. The disc thrower 108 includes a handle section 10, a launching section 20, and angular delimiter such as switch 50 or trigger 150 as above. The main difference lies in disc holder 130, adapted to hold securely (but not too securely) a disc such as ring 160 within channel 137.

Disc holder 130 includes at least two, but preferably two, disc grippers or sections 132 and 134 substantially at opposite ends of disc holder 130 and collinear with channel 137 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). Proximal disc gripper 132 includes two webs 131 which each have detent bumps 133 on opposing inner surfaces. The disc or ring 160 is adapted to fit snugly—but not too snugly—between detent bumps 133 so that the aforementioned whipping motion will readily cause a disc or ring 160 disposed therein to fly out of proximal gripper 132.

Distal disc gripper 134 includes two webs 135 which preferably taper to form a narrow section 136 at the proximal end thereof and which flare out as one moves distally. Narrow section 136 is the tightest gripping portion of the entire disc holder 130, and it forms a pivot point around which disc or ring 160 will rotate after it is released from proximal gripper 132. As best illustrated in FIG. 14, the rear sides of webs 135 of distal gripper 134 are provided with ramps 138. As the disc or ring 160 leaves the distal gripper, it fully rotates around to the rear of distal gripper 134 so that it hits ramps 138 and wedges them apart. That is, since the space between ramps 138 becomes progressively smaller but disc or ring 160 is substantially incompressible, the relatively fixed width of disc 160 forces the ramps 138—and thus webs 135—apart, thereby freeing the disc from the distal gripper. This is shown in varying stages in FIG. 16.

More generally, it is preferred that distal disc gripper/section 134 have a stronger gripping force on disc 160 than proximal disc gripper/section 132, so that when the user whips the device and causes the launching section to move with respect to the handle section, disc 160 first leaves proximal disc gripper 132 and then distal disc gripper 134. This sequential release of disc 160 from grippers 132 and then 134 imparts rotational motion to the disc which aids in flight stability. This sequential release can be accomplished by providing narrow section 136 on distal disc gripper 134, or in other ways, such as by providing a greater coefficient of friction between the distal disc gripper and the disc than the coefficient of friction between the proximal disc gripper and the disc. Other ways of ensuring that the proximal disc gripper releases the disc before the distal disc gripper are also contemplated.

As shown best in FIG. 15, disc 160 preferably includes a raised ridge 162 on at least one side and preferably both sides of the disc for better securement into disc holder 130. Disc or ring 160 optionally includes a large central hole 163 for purposes of reducing the weight of the disc to enable easier and further flinging of the disc. A series of smaller holes 164 are provided on disc 160 to make the disc lighter, use less material, and aesthetic reasons. Holes 164 also augment the stability of the flight of disc/ring 160 owing to air passing from one side of the disc to the other during flight.

The disc is preferably made from a soft flexible material such as a soft plastic, rubber, fabric, and/or foam material. The preferred weight of the disc is 25-35 g, slightly more than the ball projectile above but much lighter than typical hand-thrown flying discs which range from 100-200 g or more. In use, disc/ring 160 can typically travel 40-70 meters.

The device is able to accomplish different throws similar to typical flying disc throws, e.g., bank shots by tilting to one side or the other; lofts by throwing upward; or fast and straight by throwing flat and direct.

The invention is not limited to the above description. For example, while the disc holder is chiefly described as having two disc grippers, a proximal disc gripper and a distal disc holder, the invention contemplates a single continuous disc holder having a proximal disc gripping section and a distal disc gripping section that are substantially similar to the proximal and distal disc grippers described above. In other words, channel 137 in between can be utilized as an intermediate disc gripping section in addition to the proximal and distal disc grippers/sections without deviating from the invention.

Also, while the preferred lengths of the handle and launching sections are described as approximately 12 inches, other lengths are also contemplated, as long as the ratio of section lengths is at or close to 1:1. Additionally, the preferred projectile includes a plastic disc or ring, however other projectiles are also contemplated. For example, the device is well-suited for hand flinging light-weight missiles, gliders, balls, and paintball-type projectiles which are somewhat soft and preferably explode on contact. Different sizes and/or shapes of ball or disc holders may be provided for different sized and/or shaped projectiles. The different-sized ball holders may be provided as interchangeable (e.g., screw or snap on), or they may be integral with different sized projectile throwers, or one or both of the arms of the ball holder may be made adjustable, either discretely or continuously, to accommodate different-sized projectiles.

Additionally, instead of a slidable or otherwise movable angular delimiter that can move into and engageability with the ramped portion(s) of the other section of the device, other angular delimiting structures are contemplated. For example, instead of a selectable switch/trigger that moves the delimiter into and out of engageability, a permanently fixed angular delimiter may be provided that prevents the launching section from ever rotating too close to the handle section, e.g., 40-50° apart. The fixed angular delimiter may be provided as a non-moving protrusion projecting from one of the mating ends of the handle and launching sections, and the other mating end would be provided with a corresponding ramped portion that would abut against the protrusion when the sections are rotated together into the throwing/cocked position.

As another alternative, instead of a switch/boss engageable with a ramped portion on the opposite mating section of the device, the invention also contemplates a detent mechanism having one or more “bumps” that are manually forced past a stopping surface to provide discrete stopping positions along the rotation of one section with respect to the other. Other variations are also contemplated.

Having described certain embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the above description or the attached exemplary drawings. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the claims appearing hereinbelow and includes any equivalents thereof as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. A disc projectile throwing toy, comprising: a handle section holdable by a user; anda launching section having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end hingedly attached to and whippably rotatable with respect to said handle section, and said distal end including a disc holder adapted to releasably hold a disc projectile, said disc holder having a proximal disc gripper and a distal disc gripper, said distal disc gripper gripping a disc projectile independently of said proximal disc gripper,wherein when a disc is inserted into said disc holder and said launching section is whipped with respect to said handle section, said disc holder releases the disc.

2. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 1, further comprising an angular delimiter disposed on one of a distal end of said handle section and said proximal end of said launching section and engageable with a first ramped portion disposed on the other of said distal end of said handle section and said proximal end of said launching section, wherein when said angular delimiter is engaged with said first ramped portion, said launching section is placed in a cocked position at an angle of approximately 40-50° to said handle section neither parallel to nor collinear with said handle section.

3. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 1, wherein said handle section and said launching section are substantially the same length.

4. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 1, wherein a first gripping force of said distal disc gripper on a disc inserted into said disc holder is greater than a second gripping force of said proximal disc gripper on the disc inserted into said disc holder.

5. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 1, wherein when a disc is inserted into said disc holder and said launching section is whipped with respect to said handle section by a user, the disc first leaves said proximal disc griper, pivots around said distal disc gripper, and then leaves said distal disc gripper.

6. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 1, said proximal disc gripper further comprising two proximal webs between which a disc is releasably placeable.

7. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 6, further comprising at least one detent bump formed on at least one inner gripping surface of said proximal webs, said at least one detent bump engageable with a disc when the disc is placed in said disc holder.

8. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 1, said distal disc gripper further comprising two distal webs tapered toward each other to form a narrow section at a proximal end of said distal disc gripper.

9. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 8, said narrow section being the narrowest portion of said disc holder.

10. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 8, further comprising a pair of ramps respectively disposed on a rear side of said distal webs, wherein when said launching section is whipped with respect to said handle section, a disc in said distal disc gripper pivots around said narrow section and engages said ramps, thereby pushing said distal webs apart and thereby releasing the disc from said distal disc gripper.

11. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 2, said first ramped portion being disposed on said launching section, andsaid angular delimiter being disposed on said handle section and spring-biased into engageability with said first ramped portion.

12. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 11, said angular delimiter including a boss portion at a delimiter distal end engageable with said first ramped portion.

13. A projectile throwing toy according to claim 12, said angular delimiter including a trigger mechanically coupled to said boss portion adapted to allow the user to retract said angular delimiter proximally against said spring bias out of engageability with said first ramped portion.

14. A disc projectile throwing toy, comprising: a disc releasably placeable in and throwable from said toy;a handle section holdable by a user; anda launching section having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end hingedly attached to and whippably rotatable with respect to said handle section, and said distal end including a disc holder adapted to releasably hold said disc, said disc holder having a proximal disc gripper and a distal disc gripper, said distal disc gripper gripping said disc independently of said proximal disc gripper,wherein when said disc is inserted into said disc holder and said launching section is whipped with respect to said handle section, said disc holder releases said disc.

15. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 14, said disc further comprising an at least partially circumferential ridge releasably engageable with said disc holder.

16. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 14, said proximal disc gripper further comprising two proximal webs between which said disc is releasably placeable.

17. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 16, further comprising at least one detent bump formed on at least one inner gripping surface of said proximal webs, said at least one detent bump engageable with said ridge on disc when said disc is placed in said disc holder.

18. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 14, said distal disc gripper further comprising two distal webs tapered toward each other to form a narrow section at a proximal end of said distal disc gripper.

19. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 18, said narrow section being the narrowest portion of said disc holder.

20. A disc projectile throwing toy according to claim 18, further comprising a pair of ramps respectively disposed on a rear side of said distal webs, wherein when said launching section is whipped with respect to said handle section and said disc is placed in said disc holder, said disc pivots around said narrow section and engages said ramps, thereby pushing said distal webs apart and thereby releasing said disc from said distal disc gripper.