Toy airplane with finger roller launching system

Abstract

A toy airplane with a specialized launching configuration. The toy airplane has a body that extends between a nose and a tail. A roller assembly is disposed at the nose of the toy airplane. The roller assembly includes a free rotating finger roll that protrudes to the left and to the right of the nose. When a person launches the toy airplane, that person places his/her fingers behind the finger rolls on either side of the nose. As a person makes a throwing motion, the fingers roll off of the finger rolls just as the toy airplane is reaching its maximum velocity. The presence of the finger rolls, therefore, prevents a person from holding onto the toy airplane too long as it is being thrown.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front, perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the roller assembly embodiment of the toy airplane shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the toy airplane embodiment of FIG. 1 shown being grasped and thrown;

FIG. 5 shows the view of FIG. 4 after the toy airplane has been thrown;

FIG. 6 shows the toy airplane embodiment of FIG. 1 landing on a hard surface; and

FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A toy airplane device comprising: a fuselage having a nose and a tail, wherein said fuselage has a central symmetry line that extends trough said nose and said tail; anda roller assembly coupled to said fuselage proximate said nose, said roller assembly including at least one free-spinning roll that extends outwardly in opposite directions from both sides of said central symmetry line.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said roller assembly is symmetrically disposed about said central symmetry line.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said roller assembly includes two free-spinning rolls, wherein said free-spinning rolls are disposed on opposite sides of said fuselage.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein said roller assembly further includes a wheel having a diameter larger than said free-spinning roll.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said wheel is disposed around the center of said free-spinning roll and rotates with said free-spinning roll.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said free-spinning roll is tapered on either side of said wheel.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said roller assembly is the forward most part of said toy airplane.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said roller assembly is the lowest most part of said toy axis.

9. A toy airplane device, comprising: a frame supporting a primary wing and a tail, wherein said primary wing has a forward edge and a flexible rod that runs along said forward edge; anda roller disposed in the center of said flexible rod, wherein said flexible rod passes through said roller and said roller is free-spinning about said flexible rod.

10. The device according to claim 9, further including a wheel, wherein said roller passes through said wheel and said wheel is disposed in the center of said roller and rotates with said roller.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said roller is tapered on either side of said wheel.

12. The device according to claim 9, further including a connection bracket that attaches said flexible rod to said frame, said connection bracket having a tubular segment through which said flexible rod passes.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said roller is disposed around said tubular segment of said connection bracket.

14. The device according to claim 10, wherein said wheel is the forward most part of said toy airplane.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said wheel is the lowest most part of said toy airplane.

16. The device according to claim 9, wherein a relief is disposed in said primary wing behind said roller to enable a person to physically engage said roller from behind.

17. A launching device for a toy airplane that has a nose, tail, left side and right side, said launching device comprising: a free-rolling element having a first segment that extends from said right side of said toy airplane and a second segment that extends from said left side of said toy airplane, proximate said nose.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said first segment and said second segment are both tapered.

19. The device according to claim 17, further including a wheel disposed between said first segment and said second segment of said free-rolling element, wherein said wheel has a diameter larger than either said first segment or said second segment.