CA2062719A1 - Returning flying ring toy and improved airfoil - Google Patents
Returning flying ring toy and improved airfoilInfo
- Publication number
- CA2062719A1 CA2062719A1 CA 2062719 CA2062719A CA2062719A1 CA 2062719 A1 CA2062719 A1 CA 2062719A1 CA 2062719 CA2062719 CA 2062719 CA 2062719 A CA2062719 A CA 2062719A CA 2062719 A1 CA2062719 A1 CA 2062719A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- wingtip
- areas
- ring
- returning
- flying ring
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Landscapes
- Toys (AREA)
Abstract
A returning flying ring toy (10) of modified triangular-ring planform and an improved airfoil comprising an abrupt transition (49) on the upper surface (15 - 46, 48), near the trailing edge (33).
Description
`~ 2~ 7~ ~
:;WO91J0~7~7 PCT/U~90/~3~22 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The pres~nt invention relates to fly1ng toys which can be thrown and will return to the thrower. The earliest known retu.rning flying toys are boomerangs. It is ~elieved by historians that ~oomerangs have been used for at least four thousand years~ These de~ices are generally wooden stick~ of arc-shaped planform. They are hazardous and requlre a strong and skilled thrower.
SUM~ARY OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention is a returning flying toy. Its flight pattern is comparable to a boomerang but it i~ easier to throw and catch. It is lighter in weight and safer than any known prior art returning flylng toy of comparable flight distance.
The toy comprises a body in the form of a substa~tially triangular riny characterized by an inner perimeter and an o~ter perimeter. The inner perimeter is substantially triangular with rounded corners. The outer 2S perimeter is substantially triangular ~ut is widened at its thr~e corners to de~n~ three wingtip areas, at lQast two of whi~h ar~ formed to proYide lift.
The preferred embodiment of the invention employs a novel airfoil ~e~tion for the wingtip areas 3 o which provides im~roved aerodynamic perf ormance . The ai~foil is defined by the: wingtip area being ~ormed with a downwardly dependin~ flap at its trailing edge. The air~oil cross-section is oharact2rized by an abrupt downward transition on the upp~r surface where the flap joins the ~ain portion of the airfoil. The abrupt transitioTI ~ncouxa~es se~aration of the airflow near ~he -~
~:railin~ edge o~ the upper sur~ace of the wingtip area as '.
(~ W091/0~7~7 2 ~ ~ 2 7 ~ ~ PCT/U~90/03622 ., 2 the body spins and is well suited to molded plastic or molded ru~ber manufacture.
A further under~tanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remalning portions of the specl~icatiOn : and the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TH~ DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of ~ flying ring toy accordin~ to the present invention;
Figs. 2A and 2B are edge views of two variants of the toy;
Fi~. 3 illustrates the forces on the toy in flight;
Fig. 4A is a cross-~ection, taken at line 4-4 in Fig. 1, illustratin~ the pre~erred emhadiment of the toy and the improved air~oil;
Fig. 4B is a ~ragmented cross-section showing a v~riant on the em~odiment o~ Fig. 4A;
Fig. 5 is a cross-section, tak~n at line S-5 in Fig. l, illustrating the preferred composite constxuction o~ the toy;
Fig. 6 is a cross~s~ction taken at line 6~6 in Fig. 1, further illustrating the preferred composite constructlon o~ the toy; and Fig~ 7 is an ed~e view of an alternative embodiment.
DESC~IP~ION OF SP~CTFIC E~BODI~ENTS
: 30 Fig. l is a plan view of a ~lying ring toy lO
according to the invention. Toy lO comprises a thin aerodynamic ~ody 12 o~ substantially triangular-ring planfor~ with an upp~r surace 15 and a lower surface 17.
: The substantially triangula~ ring plan orm is characterized ~y an inner perim~ter 20 of substan~ially trlan~ular shape with rounded corners, ~ncompassing a center point 22 and central openin~ 23. The inner ,, ~, 's :
~c ( ~`W091/~07~7 2 0 ~ 2 7 ~ ~ PCT/US90/03~22 perimeter is encompassed by an outer perimeter 25 of substantially triangular shape (exoept near the cornerS) to define three side~ 27 o~ body 12.
The triangular outer perimeter is widened in the area of the t~ree corners by laterally broadening the perimeter outward from tha nor~al extenslons of the outer perimeter ~ines defining the trianyular sides and rounded at the three corners to de~ine thre wingtip areas 30, each having a radiall~ oute~most extremity 3l, a leading edge 3~, and a trailing edge 33. At least two of the wingtip areas 30 are formed so as to produce aerodynamic lift at the wingtips areas as body 12 spins about an axis which is perpendioular to the plane o~ the body and passes through center point 22.
Fig. 2A is an edge view of the basic form of toy lO~ In this basic form, wingtips 30 are substantially in the sa~ plane a~ the main body 12.
Fig. 2B is an edge view of the preferred embodiment c~
toy lO~ In this preferred embodim~nt, wingtips 30 are bent slightly upwards abo~e the plane of the central parts of body sid~s 27. This upward b~nd elevates the ~oy's flight path and makes it easier to catch upon return. The upward b~nd can t ke the ~o~m of a gentle bow curve distributed over the length of one or more of sides 27. Alternatl~ely, the bend can ~e concen~rated at two locatiQns 28a and 28b alon~ one or ~ore sides o~ the ~; triangular-rin~ as shown in Fig. 2B.
Fig. 3 show5 the for~es thak are generated when the toy is thrown forward wi~h spin (as depicted by arrows 34) winytip areas 30 praduce aerodynamic li~t (shown by arrows 35) in a dir~ction perpendicular to the plane of body 12. A specific wingtip area, designated 30a (which at the instarlt is at the top o~ the spin cycle) is spinning into the ~low o~ air 37.
:~ 35 Conse ~ en~ly, ~because li~t i~ proportio~al to th~ squara o~ th~ air ~elocity~ wingtip area 3Oa dev~lops greater li~t than the other two win5tip area5~ T~i5 greater .
b~i :
~, ' ~ ' ' .
' ' ' . . . ' . . . ' ' I . WO91/00757 2 ~ g 2 7 ~ 9 PCT/US90/03622 : 4 aerodyTIamic lift of the top w1ngtip area will produce a rollin~ moment 40. Gy~oscopic precession converts rolling moment 40 into a yawing moment 42 and causes the body to fly in a substantially circular path and return to the thrower.
Fig. 4A is a section taken at line 4-4 in Fig.
1, and illustrate5 the preferred method of forming wingtip areas 30 to produce aerodynamic lift as the body spins. A trailin~ portion of the wingtip area is configured with a depending flap 45 having an upper surfac~ s~gment 46. The portion 47 exclusive of the flap is referred to as the main portion and has an upper surface segment 48. The ~lap is formed to define an abrupt downward transition 4g in the upper surface o~ the wingtip area betwee~ upper surface se~ments 46 and 48.
In this context, an abrupt transition is defi~ed as a change in angle of the contour of the surface when viewed in cross-section, wherein the ch~nge of angle is accomplished relatively sharply. In the pr~ferred embodiment o~ the invention the change of the angle is approximately SO, however, it is believed that any change of angle greater than approximately 20~ will achieve the desired flow separation. The abrupt - transition 49 is so formed to encourage separation of the airflow over the upper surfaces lS of the wingtip areas at the a~rupt downward transition as the body spins about its cent r point.
Upper surface segment 48 is non-concave ; (typically conYeX or ~lat over all of its area) as part of an ef~art to further assist delaying flow separation unkil ~he flow reaches the abrupt transition. Upper ~ur~ace segment 46 is flat. However, Fig. 4B shows a - variant where the flap, designat~d 45', has a concave upper s~rface.
The present inventor has discovered that, with . 5m~11 scale ~lying objects, the air~oil o~ Fig. 4~ has `: less drag for a given amou~t of lit than conventiona}
~ ':
. ~
:
f: ~ wo 91/00757 ~ 7~ ~ PCT/US90/03622 -airfoils. It is believed that flow separation in this airfoii is delayed until the flow reaches a~rupt transition 49 near th2. trailing edge of the airfoil, as opposed to the more common laminar separation which occurs near the leading edge of small scale airfoils. It is anticipated that this improved airfoil will be found advantageous when applied to other flyiny toys, such as flying rings, ~oomerangs, propellers, and toy or model airplanes.
A further benefit o~ the improved airfoil d2picted in Fig. 4A is that it can be manu~actured in a mold having a planar parting line 50, as cpposed to twisted wings (such as that of Fig. 7) which require that the mold have a non-planar parting line in order to meet the leading and trailing ~dge~. Molds with planar parting lines can be made with greater precision and lower cost than molds ~ith non-planar parting lines.
Figs. 1, 5, and 6 also illustrate another feature qf the preferred e~odiment of the inventic;.
The body is molded o~ two different materials. First an inner triangular ring bac~one 52 is molded from a relatively rigid, yet springy, thermoplastic material such as polycar~onate. 3acXbone 52 is then inserted into a second mold and the inner and outer perimetQr portions 55 and 57 comprised of a soft resilient material (such as thermoplastic rubber), are molded over the ~ackbone. The resulting composite body is safer th~ if made from a single ~aterial.
In the preferred embodiment of the planform of body 12, the outer perimeter 25 is widened at the wingtip ar~as so as to increase the area of the wingtip areas such that the aerodynamiG rolling moment (produced by their aerodynamic lift) and the resulting yawing moment will b~ enhanced. The widened wingtip areas have a cr~scent-5haped plan~orm with a convex leading edge and a `~ concave t~ailing edgeO Th~ trailing edges 33 o~ the crescent-shaped winytip areas pro~ides a convenient place .
, ,;,1 .~. .
: ' ' , ' ' , ` , .. . ' ~
- . : .
. .; ~ , ~
~ W~91/007~7 206~7~ PCT/US90/03622 to apply pressure with the tip of the forefinger while throwing and th~s impart spin to t~e body. It is ~oted th~t some recent articles in the aerodynzmic literature have su~gested that cresc~nt-shaped wingtips have slightly lo~er induced drag than other tip planforms.
However, the primary reason ~or the u~e of crescent-shaped win~tip areas on the present invention is to facilitate throwing with spin.
In the preferred embodi~ent of the invention the thickness of the modified tri~nqular~ring body 12 is 0.125 inches and the chord of the modi~ied triangular-ring, as measured at the side of the modified triangL~
from the innar perimeter to the outer perimeter, is 1.125 inches. The chord of eaoh wingtip ar~a 30 is about 1.7 inches. However as can he seen in Fig. 1, the chord is not constant and diminishes to zero at the extremity of th~ wingtip. The radius from the center 22 to extremity 31 of the wingtips is 6.375 inches. Lower surface 17 is substantially flat except in the region o~ the downwardly depending flaps 45O As noted above, upper surfaoe 1~ is .
preferably convex except in the region of th~ flaps. The total weight is approximately two ounces, yet the returning flyin~ ring can ~ly a circular path approximately 100 feet in diameter and return to the thrower. Central opening 23 pro~ides an easy means of catching the re urning ~lying ring upon return.
An alternative method of ~orming wingtip areas 30 so that they produc:e aerodynamic li~t as the body spins is to twist them in the raanner of a propeller, as depicted in Fig. 7, Which is an edge view of the device.
While in the ~oregoing specification em~odiment~ o~ the invention have been set forth in detail for purposes o~ making a thorough disclosure of the in~r~ntion, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous chang~s can be made in such de~ails without depar~ing ~rom the spirit o~ the invention.
, . ~
.
.
:;WO91J0~7~7 PCT/U~90/~3~22 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The pres~nt invention relates to fly1ng toys which can be thrown and will return to the thrower. The earliest known retu.rning flying toys are boomerangs. It is ~elieved by historians that ~oomerangs have been used for at least four thousand years~ These de~ices are generally wooden stick~ of arc-shaped planform. They are hazardous and requlre a strong and skilled thrower.
SUM~ARY OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention is a returning flying toy. Its flight pattern is comparable to a boomerang but it i~ easier to throw and catch. It is lighter in weight and safer than any known prior art returning flylng toy of comparable flight distance.
The toy comprises a body in the form of a substa~tially triangular riny characterized by an inner perimeter and an o~ter perimeter. The inner perimeter is substantially triangular with rounded corners. The outer 2S perimeter is substantially triangular ~ut is widened at its thr~e corners to de~n~ three wingtip areas, at lQast two of whi~h ar~ formed to proYide lift.
The preferred embodiment of the invention employs a novel airfoil ~e~tion for the wingtip areas 3 o which provides im~roved aerodynamic perf ormance . The ai~foil is defined by the: wingtip area being ~ormed with a downwardly dependin~ flap at its trailing edge. The air~oil cross-section is oharact2rized by an abrupt downward transition on the upp~r surface where the flap joins the ~ain portion of the airfoil. The abrupt transitioTI ~ncouxa~es se~aration of the airflow near ~he -~
~:railin~ edge o~ the upper sur~ace of the wingtip area as '.
(~ W091/0~7~7 2 ~ ~ 2 7 ~ ~ PCT/U~90/03622 ., 2 the body spins and is well suited to molded plastic or molded ru~ber manufacture.
A further under~tanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remalning portions of the specl~icatiOn : and the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TH~ DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of ~ flying ring toy accordin~ to the present invention;
Figs. 2A and 2B are edge views of two variants of the toy;
Fi~. 3 illustrates the forces on the toy in flight;
Fig. 4A is a cross-~ection, taken at line 4-4 in Fig. 1, illustratin~ the pre~erred emhadiment of the toy and the improved air~oil;
Fig. 4B is a ~ragmented cross-section showing a v~riant on the em~odiment o~ Fig. 4A;
Fig. 5 is a cross-section, tak~n at line S-5 in Fig. l, illustrating the preferred composite constxuction o~ the toy;
Fig. 6 is a cross~s~ction taken at line 6~6 in Fig. 1, further illustrating the preferred composite constructlon o~ the toy; and Fig~ 7 is an ed~e view of an alternative embodiment.
DESC~IP~ION OF SP~CTFIC E~BODI~ENTS
: 30 Fig. l is a plan view of a ~lying ring toy lO
according to the invention. Toy lO comprises a thin aerodynamic ~ody 12 o~ substantially triangular-ring planfor~ with an upp~r surace 15 and a lower surface 17.
: The substantially triangula~ ring plan orm is characterized ~y an inner perim~ter 20 of substan~ially trlan~ular shape with rounded corners, ~ncompassing a center point 22 and central openin~ 23. The inner ,, ~, 's :
~c ( ~`W091/~07~7 2 0 ~ 2 7 ~ ~ PCT/US90/03~22 perimeter is encompassed by an outer perimeter 25 of substantially triangular shape (exoept near the cornerS) to define three side~ 27 o~ body 12.
The triangular outer perimeter is widened in the area of the t~ree corners by laterally broadening the perimeter outward from tha nor~al extenslons of the outer perimeter ~ines defining the trianyular sides and rounded at the three corners to de~ine thre wingtip areas 30, each having a radiall~ oute~most extremity 3l, a leading edge 3~, and a trailing edge 33. At least two of the wingtip areas 30 are formed so as to produce aerodynamic lift at the wingtips areas as body 12 spins about an axis which is perpendioular to the plane o~ the body and passes through center point 22.
Fig. 2A is an edge view of the basic form of toy lO~ In this basic form, wingtips 30 are substantially in the sa~ plane a~ the main body 12.
Fig. 2B is an edge view of the preferred embodiment c~
toy lO~ In this preferred embodim~nt, wingtips 30 are bent slightly upwards abo~e the plane of the central parts of body sid~s 27. This upward b~nd elevates the ~oy's flight path and makes it easier to catch upon return. The upward b~nd can t ke the ~o~m of a gentle bow curve distributed over the length of one or more of sides 27. Alternatl~ely, the bend can ~e concen~rated at two locatiQns 28a and 28b alon~ one or ~ore sides o~ the ~; triangular-rin~ as shown in Fig. 2B.
Fig. 3 show5 the for~es thak are generated when the toy is thrown forward wi~h spin (as depicted by arrows 34) winytip areas 30 praduce aerodynamic li~t (shown by arrows 35) in a dir~ction perpendicular to the plane of body 12. A specific wingtip area, designated 30a (which at the instarlt is at the top o~ the spin cycle) is spinning into the ~low o~ air 37.
:~ 35 Conse ~ en~ly, ~because li~t i~ proportio~al to th~ squara o~ th~ air ~elocity~ wingtip area 3Oa dev~lops greater li~t than the other two win5tip area5~ T~i5 greater .
b~i :
~, ' ~ ' ' .
' ' ' . . . ' . . . ' ' I . WO91/00757 2 ~ g 2 7 ~ 9 PCT/US90/03622 : 4 aerodyTIamic lift of the top w1ngtip area will produce a rollin~ moment 40. Gy~oscopic precession converts rolling moment 40 into a yawing moment 42 and causes the body to fly in a substantially circular path and return to the thrower.
Fig. 4A is a section taken at line 4-4 in Fig.
1, and illustrate5 the preferred method of forming wingtip areas 30 to produce aerodynamic lift as the body spins. A trailin~ portion of the wingtip area is configured with a depending flap 45 having an upper surfac~ s~gment 46. The portion 47 exclusive of the flap is referred to as the main portion and has an upper surface segment 48. The ~lap is formed to define an abrupt downward transition 4g in the upper surface o~ the wingtip area betwee~ upper surface se~ments 46 and 48.
In this context, an abrupt transition is defi~ed as a change in angle of the contour of the surface when viewed in cross-section, wherein the ch~nge of angle is accomplished relatively sharply. In the pr~ferred embodiment o~ the invention the change of the angle is approximately SO, however, it is believed that any change of angle greater than approximately 20~ will achieve the desired flow separation. The abrupt - transition 49 is so formed to encourage separation of the airflow over the upper surfaces lS of the wingtip areas at the a~rupt downward transition as the body spins about its cent r point.
Upper surface segment 48 is non-concave ; (typically conYeX or ~lat over all of its area) as part of an ef~art to further assist delaying flow separation unkil ~he flow reaches the abrupt transition. Upper ~ur~ace segment 46 is flat. However, Fig. 4B shows a - variant where the flap, designat~d 45', has a concave upper s~rface.
The present inventor has discovered that, with . 5m~11 scale ~lying objects, the air~oil o~ Fig. 4~ has `: less drag for a given amou~t of lit than conventiona}
~ ':
. ~
:
f: ~ wo 91/00757 ~ 7~ ~ PCT/US90/03622 -airfoils. It is believed that flow separation in this airfoii is delayed until the flow reaches a~rupt transition 49 near th2. trailing edge of the airfoil, as opposed to the more common laminar separation which occurs near the leading edge of small scale airfoils. It is anticipated that this improved airfoil will be found advantageous when applied to other flyiny toys, such as flying rings, ~oomerangs, propellers, and toy or model airplanes.
A further benefit o~ the improved airfoil d2picted in Fig. 4A is that it can be manu~actured in a mold having a planar parting line 50, as cpposed to twisted wings (such as that of Fig. 7) which require that the mold have a non-planar parting line in order to meet the leading and trailing ~dge~. Molds with planar parting lines can be made with greater precision and lower cost than molds ~ith non-planar parting lines.
Figs. 1, 5, and 6 also illustrate another feature qf the preferred e~odiment of the inventic;.
The body is molded o~ two different materials. First an inner triangular ring bac~one 52 is molded from a relatively rigid, yet springy, thermoplastic material such as polycar~onate. 3acXbone 52 is then inserted into a second mold and the inner and outer perimetQr portions 55 and 57 comprised of a soft resilient material (such as thermoplastic rubber), are molded over the ~ackbone. The resulting composite body is safer th~ if made from a single ~aterial.
In the preferred embodiment of the planform of body 12, the outer perimeter 25 is widened at the wingtip ar~as so as to increase the area of the wingtip areas such that the aerodynamiG rolling moment (produced by their aerodynamic lift) and the resulting yawing moment will b~ enhanced. The widened wingtip areas have a cr~scent-5haped plan~orm with a convex leading edge and a `~ concave t~ailing edgeO Th~ trailing edges 33 o~ the crescent-shaped winytip areas pro~ides a convenient place .
, ,;,1 .~. .
: ' ' , ' ' , ` , .. . ' ~
- . : .
. .; ~ , ~
~ W~91/007~7 206~7~ PCT/US90/03622 to apply pressure with the tip of the forefinger while throwing and th~s impart spin to t~e body. It is ~oted th~t some recent articles in the aerodynzmic literature have su~gested that cresc~nt-shaped wingtips have slightly lo~er induced drag than other tip planforms.
However, the primary reason ~or the u~e of crescent-shaped win~tip areas on the present invention is to facilitate throwing with spin.
In the preferred embodi~ent of the invention the thickness of the modified tri~nqular~ring body 12 is 0.125 inches and the chord of the modi~ied triangular-ring, as measured at the side of the modified triangL~
from the innar perimeter to the outer perimeter, is 1.125 inches. The chord of eaoh wingtip ar~a 30 is about 1.7 inches. However as can he seen in Fig. 1, the chord is not constant and diminishes to zero at the extremity of th~ wingtip. The radius from the center 22 to extremity 31 of the wingtips is 6.375 inches. Lower surface 17 is substantially flat except in the region o~ the downwardly depending flaps 45O As noted above, upper surfaoe 1~ is .
preferably convex except in the region of th~ flaps. The total weight is approximately two ounces, yet the returning flyin~ ring can ~ly a circular path approximately 100 feet in diameter and return to the thrower. Central opening 23 pro~ides an easy means of catching the re urning ~lying ring upon return.
An alternative method of ~orming wingtip areas 30 so that they produc:e aerodynamic li~t as the body spins is to twist them in the raanner of a propeller, as depicted in Fig. 7, Which is an edge view of the device.
While in the ~oregoing specification em~odiment~ o~ the invention have been set forth in detail for purposes o~ making a thorough disclosure of the in~r~ntion, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous chang~s can be made in such de~ails without depar~ing ~rom the spirit o~ the invention.
, . ~
.
.
Claims (11)
1. A returning flying ring formed as a thin aerodynamic body with an upper surface and a lower surface, the body being characterized by:
an inner perimeter of substantially triangular shape with rounded corners, encompassing a center point and a central opening;
an outer perimeter of substantially triangular shape widen d and rounded at the three corners to define three wingtip areas; and at least two of said wingtip areas being formed so as to produce aerodynamic lift at said wingtip areas as said body spins about an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said body and passes through said center point;
such that when said returning flying ring is thrown forward with spin, said aerodynamic lift of said wingtip areas will produce a rolling moment which gyroscopic precession will convert into a yawing moment and cause said returning flying ring to fly in a substantially circular path thereby returning to the vicinity from which it was thrown.
an inner perimeter of substantially triangular shape with rounded corners, encompassing a center point and a central opening;
an outer perimeter of substantially triangular shape widen d and rounded at the three corners to define three wingtip areas; and at least two of said wingtip areas being formed so as to produce aerodynamic lift at said wingtip areas as said body spins about an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said body and passes through said center point;
such that when said returning flying ring is thrown forward with spin, said aerodynamic lift of said wingtip areas will produce a rolling moment which gyroscopic precession will convert into a yawing moment and cause said returning flying ring to fly in a substantially circular path thereby returning to the vicinity from which it was thrown.
2. The returning flying ring of claim 1 wherein said outer perimeter is formed such that said wingtip areas are cresent-shaped
3. The returning flying ring of claim 1 wherein at least two of said wingtip areas are twisted, in the manner o f a propeller, so as to produce said aerodynamic lift at said wingtip areas.
4. The returning flying ring of claim 1 wherein at least one of said wingtip areas is formed with a main portion and with a downwardly depending flap at the trailing edge of said wingtip area in order to produce said aerodynamic lift at said wingtip area.
5. The returning flying ring of claim 1 wherein portions of said body bounding said inner and outer perimeters are formed of a soft resilient material so as to enhance the safety of said returning flying ring.
6. The returning flying ring claim 4 wherein at least one of said wingtip areas is shaped with a cross-section characterized by an abrupt downward transition on the upper surface of said wingtip area at the intersection of the upper surface of said main portion of said wingtip area and the upper surface of said downwardly depending flap so as to encourage separation of the airflow over said upper surface of said wingtip area at said abrupt downward transition.
7. A returning flying ring having a thin aerodynamic body with an upper surface, the body being characterized by:
an inner perimeter of substantially triangular shape with rounded corners, encompassing a center point and central opening; and an outer perimeter of substantially triangular shape, said outer perimeter being widened and rounded at the three corners to define three wingtip areas;
each of at least two of said wingtip areas being formed with a downwardly depending flap with an abrupt downward transition between the upper surface of a main portion of said wingtip area and the upper surface of said flap so as to encourage separation of the airflow over said upper surfaces of said wingtip areas at said abrupt transition, and further to produce aerodynamic lift at said wingtip areas as said body spins about an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said body and passes through said center point;
such that when said returning flying ring is thrown forward with spin, said aerodynamic lift of said wingtip areas will produce a rolling moment which gyroscopic precession will convert into a yawing moment and cause said returning flying ring to fly in a substantially circular path thereby returning to the vicinity from which it was thrown.
an inner perimeter of substantially triangular shape with rounded corners, encompassing a center point and central opening; and an outer perimeter of substantially triangular shape, said outer perimeter being widened and rounded at the three corners to define three wingtip areas;
each of at least two of said wingtip areas being formed with a downwardly depending flap with an abrupt downward transition between the upper surface of a main portion of said wingtip area and the upper surface of said flap so as to encourage separation of the airflow over said upper surfaces of said wingtip areas at said abrupt transition, and further to produce aerodynamic lift at said wingtip areas as said body spins about an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said body and passes through said center point;
such that when said returning flying ring is thrown forward with spin, said aerodynamic lift of said wingtip areas will produce a rolling moment which gyroscopic precession will convert into a yawing moment and cause said returning flying ring to fly in a substantially circular path thereby returning to the vicinity from which it was thrown.
8. An airfoil for use in a flying toy having a cross-section characterized by:
a main portion having a non-concave upper surface; and a downwardly depending flap at a trailing edge of the airfoil, said flap having an upper surface;
said upper surfaces of said main portion and said flap coming together in a manner that defines an abrupt downward transition in the upper surface of said airfoil.
a main portion having a non-concave upper surface; and a downwardly depending flap at a trailing edge of the airfoil, said flap having an upper surface;
said upper surfaces of said main portion and said flap coming together in a manner that defines an abrupt downward transition in the upper surface of said airfoil.
9. The airfoil of claim 8 wherein said upper surface of said main portion is convex.
10. The airfoil of claim 8 wherein said upper surface of said flap is flat.
11. A returning flying ring of triangular-ring planform, comprising:
an inner triangular-ring backbone molded from a relatively rigid, yet springy, thermoplastic material;
and inner and outer perimeter portions formed from a soft resilient material, molded over said backbone;
said ring being formed with three widened wingtip areas, at least two of which are formed to produce aerodynamic lift as said ring spins around an axis which is perpendicular to said planform and passes through the center of said ring.
an inner triangular-ring backbone molded from a relatively rigid, yet springy, thermoplastic material;
and inner and outer perimeter portions formed from a soft resilient material, molded over said backbone;
said ring being formed with three widened wingtip areas, at least two of which are formed to produce aerodynamic lift as said ring spins around an axis which is perpendicular to said planform and passes through the center of said ring.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US37701889A | 1989-07-06 | 1989-07-06 | |
| US377,018 | 1989-07-06 | ||
| US53200390A | 1990-06-01 | 1990-06-01 | |
| US532,003 | 1990-06-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2062719A1 true CA2062719A1 (en) | 1991-01-07 |
Family
ID=27007651
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2062719 Abandoned CA2062719A1 (en) | 1989-07-06 | 1990-06-27 | Returning flying ring toy and improved airfoil |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2062719A1 (en) |
-
1990
- 1990-06-27 CA CA 2062719 patent/CA2062719A1/en not_active Abandoned
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |