Patent Application
20240165528
This invention is directed towards an apparatus and method for simultaneously setting the attack angle of a number of aerodynamic surfaces such as fins on a throwing toy. The ability to adjust the angle of attack of such fins greatly affects the performance of such throwing toy and also provides additional play value and marketability.
It is known that the performance of a throwing toy is significantly affected by being spun along its travelling axis when it is thrown, much like a football that is thrown with a spiral. It is also known that most people find it difficult to throw a consistent spiral. It is also known that the direction of the rotation is different when thrown by left handed throwers verses right handed throwers, so that it would be desirable to provide a throwing toy that will spiral consistently when thrown with a direction and degree of rotation that can be adjusted as desired.
One conventional game ball having a shape generally similar to an American football is known that has individually adjustable fins provided on the outside of the ball. However, the individually adjustable fins can be difficult to adjust together to have a common angle of attack with respect to a rotational axis of the game ball to have a consistent spiral.
It would be desirable to provide a throwing toy that can be adjusted to have a consistent spiral about a rotational axis to suit the needs and handedness of the thrower. It would also be desirable to provide such a throwing toy with a timer for monitoring and displaying flight time of the throwing toy when it is thrown. The present invention addresses these and other needs.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides for a throwing toy having a leading end, a trailing end, and a longitudinal throwing axis extending along a length of the throwing toy from the leading end to the trailing end of the throwing toy. The throwing toy includes a main body having an elongated, ellipsoidal shape, a leading end and a trailing end, and a fin mounting portion integrally connected to the trailing end of the main body. In accordance with some embodiments, the fin mounting portion is a generally tubular tail portion. The fin mounting portion includes a plurality of fins mounted on the fin mounting portion of the throwing toy, each of the fins having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a common aerodynamic angle of attack relative to the longitudinal axis. The fins are connected to the fin mounting portion and may be configured for rotation of at least one of the leading edge and trailing edge relative to the other of the leading edge and trailing edge. Note that the fins need not rotate or be movable, but is a considered embodiment of the present invention.
In accordance with some embodiments, the present invention is directed to The invention is generally directed to a throwing toy including: a main body having an elongated, ellipsoidal shape, a leading and trailing end; a fin mounting portion extending rearwardly from a generally tubular center portion, the center portion disposed between the main body and the fin mounting portion having at least one opening or orifice to permit airflow in a radial direction therethrough; a plurality of fins, each fin having a leading edge, a trailing edge, the leading edges of the fins being connected to a rotatable adjustment ring connected to the main body such that the rotatable adjustment ring is rotatable; and an axial tubular bore extending along the longitudinal throwing axis through the throwing toy from the leading edge of the main body through generally tubular center portion to the trailing end of the fin mounting portion.
In accordance with some embodiments, the fins may be configured to be rotated simultaneously together to present a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces oriented with the same aerodynamic angle of attack, to cause the toy to rotate about the longitudinal throwing axis when the throwing toy is thrown. The fins can be rotated and set together at a desired aerodynamic angle of attack relative to the longitudinal throwing axis between maximum angles of attack on either side of the longitudinal throwing axis, such as to be rotated at an angle on either side of the longitudinal throwing axis, or to be oriented parallel to the throwing axis, and, for example.
In accordance with some embodiments, the leading edges of the fins may be connected to a common rotatable member, such as a rotatable adjustment ring, for example, that is rotatably connected to the main body, and that in accordance with some embodiments can extend radially outwardly from the fin mounting portion. In accordance with some aspects of the invention, each of the fins may include a flange or extension extending from the leading edge of the fin that protrudes through a corresponding one of a plurality of holes provided in the rotatable adjustment ring. When the adjustment ring is rotated about the longitudinal throwing axis of the throwing toy, the flanges or extensions protruding into the adjustment ring are caused to correspondingly be rotated and set the angle of all the fins to a new angle of attack, so that when one fin is adjusted all fins are adjusted simultaneously. In accordance with some embodiments, at least a portion of each fin rotates relative to a pivot point on the fin located rearwardly of the flange or extension.
In accordance with some embodiments, an axial tubular bore is defined within the main body and fin mounting portion of the throwing toy, and extends along the longitudinal throwing axis through the throwing toy from the leading end of the main body of the throwing toy to the trailing end of the fin mounting portion of the throwing toy.
In accordance with some embodiments, an internal electronic timer and timer display are disposed in the main body of the throwing toy for measuring, recording and/or displaying the time the throwing toy is in the air after it is thrown and before it is caught or flight is otherwise terminated, such as by hitting the ground. The electronic timer is started when the throwing toy leaves a thrower's hand, and is stopped by sensing the impact when the throwing toy is caught or hits the ground. In accordance with some embodiments, the time of flight may be saved as a metric to be compared to other players or one's own performance.
The mechanism for simultaneously setting the angle of the fins allows for a quicker operation of the adjustments for the toy, making play more enjoyable, provides improved accuracy in setting all fins to the same angle for optimum performance, and provides a valuable feature that can be demonstrated in the package, thus providing a strong marketing element. An electronic timer of the throwing toy of the invention for measuring the time the ball is in the air after it is thrown and before it is caught or flight is otherwise terminated also provides improved play value of the throwing toy by providing a metric of performance by a single player that is read out on the toy itself.
The throwing toy of the invention also provides the additional benefits for individual play and improvement, in allowing one or more users to have a play pattern where a player can play individually or with a group of players in a meaningful manner, as they can attempt to improve on their measured performance, and in providing a way of positively measuring and demonstrating the remarkable performance of the throwing toy of the invention.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the operation of the invention.
The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference indicators are used to designate like elements. The accompanying figures depict certain illustrative embodiments and may aid in understanding the following detailed description. Before any embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments depicted are to be understood as exemplary and in no way limiting of the overall scope of the invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The detailed description will refer to the following figures, in which:
Before any embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The matters exemplified in this description are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various exemplary embodiments disclosed with reference to the accompanying figures. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the exemplary embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. Descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness. Moreover, as used herein, the singular may be interpreted in the plural, and alternately, any term in the plural may be interpreted to be in the singular.
With reference to the drawings, which are provided by way of example, for purposes of illustration, and not by way of limitation, the present invention provides for a throwing toy 10 having a leading end 12, a trailing end 14, and a longitudinal throwing axis 16 extending along a length of the throwing toy from the leading end to the trailing end of the throwing toy. The throwing toy includes a main body 18 having an elongated, ellipsoidal shape, a leading end 20 and a trailing end 22, and a fin mounting portion 24 integrally connected to the trailing end of the main body.
In accordance with some embodiments, an axial tubular bore 40, shown in
In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the throwing toy 10 may also comprise an extended center section 41, which may connect the main body 18 to the trailing end 22 and fins 30. This extended center section 41 may be of variable length, and may include one or more cut-outs of various shapes and sizes. For example,
The various cutouts 42-49 in the extended center section 41 may impact the operation of the device in several manners. First, the extended center section 41 may be grasped by a user if needed to hold, stabilize, or throw the throwing toy 10. Second, the cut outs 42-49 in the extended center section 41 may reduce tail drag, which in turn may decrease the directional and distance performance of the throwing toy 10. The cut-outs 42-49 may also reduce any lift that may be generated by the tail section. Such lift may cause the throwing toy to be pitched in a downward direction after throwing, thereby reducing its flight distance.
In addition to potentially impacting flight abilities, the cut outs 42-49 may also remove weight from the extended center section 41, which may allow the entire throwing toy itself to be lighter and maintain a desired center of gravity to cause or assist with generally level flight.
In accordance with some embodiments, the extended center section 41 may promote more guidance to the forward flight of the throwing toy 10. Because the fins are located further back on the throwing toy 10, the stability offered by the fins may have a greater impact on the throwing toy 10, as the extended distance may cause a greater moment, thereby potentially increasing the stability.
In addition, if the throwing toy 10 is thrown with sufficient force air flow through the extended center section 41, through linear gyroscopic effect, may create additional lift, as well as rotation sufficient to promote attitude stability.
Note that if the extended center section 41 were solid, too much lift may be created, causing the throwing toy 10 to pitch downward towards the ground. The extended center section 41 may also provide an area to attach rear fins without comprising gyro-lift aspects of the throwing toy 10.
In accordance with some embodiments, the fin mounting portion is a generally tubular tail portion. The fin mounting portion includes a plurality of fins 26 mounted on the fin mounting portion of the throwing toy, each of the fins having a leading edge 28, a trailing edge 30, and a common aerodynamic angle of attack relative to the longitudinal axis. The fins are connected to the fin mounting portion and are configured for rotation of at least one of the leading edge and trailing edge relative to the other of the leading edge and trailing edge. The fins typically are formed of generally planar pieces of polymeric material or other similar suitable pliable material, and are typically adhered along at least a portion of an inner edge 31 of the fins to the outer surface of the generally tubular tail portion at the trailing end of the throwing toy, such as in slots or fin trays 32, for example.
Note that in some embodiments of the present invention, the fins may not be rotatable, but may be connected and/or attached to the throwing toy in such a manner as to be set in their position. In accordance with some embodiments, only a portion of a fin may be moveable (for example, a flap or elevator portion on a fin). In accordance with some embodiments, the fins are configured to be rotated simultaneously together to present a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces oriented with the same aerodynamic angle of attack, to cause the toy to rotate about the longitudinal throwing axis when the throwing toy is thrown. The fins can be rotated and set together at a desired angle of attack relative to the longitudinal throwing axis between maximum angles of attack on either side of the longitudinal throwing axis, such as to be in line with the throwing axis and to rotate at an angle on either side of this axis, for example.
In accordance with some embodiments, the leading edges of the fins are connected to a common rotatable member 33, such as a rotatable adjustment ring, for example, that is rotatably connected to the main body, and which in one aspect can extend radially outwardly from the fin mounting portion. The common rotatable member is typically rotatably connected to the main body by a ratchet mechanism, such as a plurality of detents, for example, allowing the common rotatable member to be rotated and set in a desired position relative to the main body and fin mounting portion. Alternatively, the common rotatable member can be similarly rotatably connected to the fin mounting portion to be rotated and set in a desired position relative to the main body and fin mounting portion. In accordance with some embodiments, each of the fins includes a flange or extension 34, best seen in
Alternatively, the fins can be mounted to the fin mounting portion of the throwing toy by pivot pins extending into the fin mounting portion at medial pivot points, and a mechanism can be provided that connects the pivot pins 39 of each fin with gears, a filament, or the like, so that when one pivot pin is rotated all pivot pins rotate, causing the fins to rotate together. In accordance with some embodiments, a simple locking mechanism such as a lockable tab or detent may additionally be provided on an adjustment ring to prevent movement from a setting until the thrower so desires.
There are numerous configurations of apparatus within the scope of the invention to adjust the angle of the fins simultaneously including, but not limited to connecting either end of the fins to a common structure or element so that when one fin is adjusted all fins are adjusted, and a mechanism that connects the pivot point of each fin with gears, filament, and the like, so that when one pivot is rotated all pivots rotate.
The invention may be embodied in other forms without departure from the benefits and characteristics described. The embodiments described therefore are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Although the present invention has been described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/307,485 filed on 7 Feb. 2022, entitled “Throwing Toy,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63307485 | Feb 2022 | US |
