Patent Application
20100252012
The present invention generally relates to toys for children and, more particularly, to a racket toy with energy transference, sound and ball launch and a method for using same.
May toys have been developed and marketed that provide children with the ability to launch a projectile. Examples include the NERF line of ball shooters from Hasbro, Inc., which use air or spring pressure to launch small foam balls out of the toy. Another example is the CHUCKIT! ball launcher from Canine Hardware, Inc. which holds a foam ball in a friction fit cup and then provides a leverage arm with which to manually launch the ball. Blip Toys offers a ZOOM-O ball shooter featuring a net, where the toy shoots a ball up into the air to be caught by the child using the net. Such toys are very safe given the soft and/or lightweight nature of the projectile used.
Sling shots have existed for may years and are very popular. When used as a children's toy, however, they can be dangerous if a hard or sharp object is used as the projectile. A need therefore exists for a toy that combines the safety of a soft and/or lightweight projectile with the simplicity and fun of a slingshot. A need also exists for such a toy that provides an entertaining sound upon launching the projectile.
An embodiment of the racket toy ball launcher of the present invention is indicated in general at 10 in
The head includes a rim, indicated in general at 17 in
A sheet of drumhead material 22, such as MYLAR, is pulled tightly across the central opening 20 of the racket toy head so as to cover it. The sheet of drumhead material is preferably transparent or clear so that a child may see through the racket toy head. The drumhead material may be any material that, when pulled tight, can deflect and produce a noise as described in greater detail below. The sheet of drumhead material is preferably approximately 0.10″ to 0.25″ thick.
The circumferental edge of the sheet of drumhead material is preferably sandwiched between the front and back halves (18a and 18b) of the rim and is secured in place by adhesive, a tab and groove or other fastening arrangement. The front and rear rim halves are preferably secured together by pegs that are molded in one half and that engage openings formed in the other half (see 24 in
An arm 26 is connected by its distal end to the rim front half 18a and extends towards the center of the head central opening 20. A ball holder cup 28 is positioned at the distal end of the arm and features a central aperture 32 that generally corresponds to the center of the head central opening 20. It should be noted that alternative embodiments of the arm could be used including one that spans the central opening 20 in its entirety or one that extends from the handle or a position on the rim other than the one shown.
As illustrated in
While projectile balls 34 and 36 are preferably constructed from foam, any soft, lightweight, somewhat flexible and durable material could be used. The foam may be, for example, polyethylene or a similar material.
The ball holder cup 28 is preferably spaced from the sheet of drumhead material 22 so that the projectile ball 34 lightly touches the front side of the sheet of drumhead material when the ball is placed in the ball holder cup, as illustrated in
A launching ball 38 is secured to the distal ends of first and second elastic straps 42a and 42b. The proximal ends of the elastic straps are secured to the back half of the rim 18b. Alternatively, the racket toy may include a single elastic strap that extends through a bore formed in the launching ball with the ends of the single elastic strap attached to the rim. Launching ball 38 is preferably constructed from molded or cut foam (such as polyethylene or an equivalent material), although it could be made from a variety of other materials including, but not limited to, molded plastic or even wood. Elastic straps 42a and 42b may be constructed from any elastic material including, but not limited to, rubber, rubberized cloth or surgical tubing. In use, the launching ball 38 is pulled back into the launching position illustrated in
As illustrated in
As the launching ball strikes the drumhead material, the racket toy produces a loud and enjoyable sound. In an alternative embodiment, a more flexible drumhead material may be used, or the tightness of the drumhead material may be reduced, so that the sound produced by the racket is quieter.
As noted above, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the projectile ball 34 may be positioned in non-contacting, close proximity to the front side of the sheet of drumhead material, instead of in light contact with it, when located in the central aperture of the ball holder cup 28. This embodiment would still launch the projectile ball when the racket is operated as described above, but would result in lack of full energy transference between the launching ball and the projectile ball.
The handle and head of the racket toy is preferable constructed from an injection molded, durable plastic, such as high impact styrene or ABS. The handle, arm 26, ball holder cup 28 and front rim half 18a are preferably molded as a single piece, with the back rim half 18b molded as a separate piece that is attached to the front half as described above. Alternatively, the head and handle of the racket toy may be constructed of separate pieces that are manufactured separately and then joined together. The balls 34, 36 and 38 are preferably 1″ to 4″ in diameter or larger.
The racket toy ball launcher therefore provides the user with a unique and enjoyable play toy and activity that provides both visual and audible entertainment.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/118,509, filed Nov. 28, 2008, currently pending.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61118509 | Nov 2008 | US |
