CA2877966A1

CA2877966A1 - Disc-shaped toy

Info

Publication number: CA2877966A1
Application number: CA2877966A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Urs Robustelli; Gregor Altenburger
Original assignee: LIMMAT PRODUKT GmbH
Current assignee: LIMMAT PRODUKT GmbH
Priority date: 2012-06-29
Filing date: 2013-06-27
Publication date: 2014-01-03
Also published as: US20150148155A1; CH706659A1; EP2866909A1; WO2014000117A1

Abstract

Toy (1') comprising a casing (2, 3) having at least one viewing opening (9, 9') and one rotating body (10) arranged in the casing (2, 3) and rotatably mounted within said casing, wherein said body is designed with an imbalance (16, 17) and provided with at least two different markings that can be seen through the viewing opening (9, 9') and in the viewing area. The casing (2, 3) is designed substantially cylindrically with an upper side and a lower side, the diameter of said upper side and lower side being greater than the height of the casing (2, 3), and in particular such that the casing (2, 3) has a disc-shaped design with the proportions of an ice hockey puck.

Description

DISC-SHAPED TOY
Field of the invention The invention relates to a toy.
Prior art Dice are known as toys, and also other toys are known in a very wide variety of shapes, for example rectangular or spherical, which toys, on reaching their rest state after being thrown, display or show the currently thrown numbers, colors, symbols or images, etc.
Summary of the invention It is the object to provide a further toy, in particular a toy which provides additional playing possibilities.
This object is achieved with the features of Claim 1.
Owing to the fact that the toy comprises a housing with at least one viewing opening and a rotary body which is arranged in the housing, is mounted rotatably therein, is formed with an unbalanced mass and is visible through the viewing opening and is provided in the viewing area with at least two different markings, new playing possibilities arise. The unbalanced mass of the rotary body sets the latter rapidly and persistently into rotation from a current starting position relative to the housing when the toy is moved, for example after punting the toy with a miniaturized ice hockey stick. Upon stopping at the end of the rotation, the rotary I

body is again in the rest state and in a certain position relative to the housing, wherein this second position may, but does not have to, differ from the first position. The second rest state may by chance correspond exactly to the first rest state, comparable to a dice which, after being thrown again, by chance displays the same number of pips as during the first throw. The unbalanced mass is formed, for example, by a weight arranged on one side of the rotary body or, in another variant, can also be formed by an eccentric axis of rotation of the rotary body.
Since the housing is of substantially cylindrical design with an upper side and a lower side, and has a diameter of upper and lower side greater than the height of the housing, and in particular when the housing is configured in a disk-shaped manner with the proportions of an ice hockey puck, extended playing possibilities are also provided. In particular, it is possible to use this disk-shaped toy as a miniaturized puck in a miniaturized ice hockey game, for example a table ice hockey game.
In an advantageous manner, a viewing opening is provided in each case on the upper side and on the lower side of the housing, in particular opposite each other, and/or at least one viewing opening is formed on the cylindrical outer wall of the housing. In addition, it is particularly advantageous to provide the upper and/or the lower side of the rotary body with at least two or, depending on the embodiment, a multiplicity of signs, symbols and/or colors which are visible from the outside through the viewing window(s) in the housing. By this means, the rotary body, depending on its defined position, displays one or more of said signs, symbols or colors which, in turn, may, but do not have to, differ from those of the original position. For example, with reference to colors assigned by players, it is thereby possible to determine one of a plurality of players who has the right, as the next player, to strike against the toy and to displace the toy. This can take place, for example, until one of the players involved manages to strike/push the toy over a goal line, for example in a miniaturized goal, and the game is continued with a changed score or is ended, in a manner analogous to a genuine ice hockey game.
In a further particularly advantageous variant embodiment, the housing is designed in two parts and preferably so as to be closable and openable by means of closure elements. By this means, the toy is openable, for example for cleaning, maintenance or repair purposes, and is then closable again, as a result of which the interior of the toy or of the housing is protected from soiling. It is also thereby possible to change one rotary body for another rotary body with different markings in order to provide different playing possibilities. The closure elements are advantageously designed as a clamping closure with resilient clamping means.
In yet other embodiments, the toy is configured as a single part, or upper and lower side of the housing, once joined together, are connected to each other, for example by means of pressing, welding or adhesive bonding, such that the toy is no longer openable.
In a preferred variant, the rotary body and the housing have at least one interacting stop element. In a particularly advantageous manner, the stop element is designed in such a manner that it has a magnet and a ferromagnetic couterpart and/or a magnetic couterpart. In an advantageous manner, a plurality of stop elements are provided in such a manner that a magnet arranged on the rotary body and a plurality of couterparts on the housing form a plurality of stop elements.
In this case, ferromagnetic and magnetic couterparts are preferably arranged alternating circularly on an inside of the housing. The magnet is preferably arranged in the rotary body in a magnet shaft recessed therein.
By configuration of the toy with at least one stop element, the rotary body can be set into rotation from an exactly defined starting position relative to the housing, for example by a strike with the already mentioned miniaturized hockey stick against the toy, in such a manner that the latter, after reaching its rest state, stops again in an exactly defined position relative to the housing. Said exactly defined position may, but does not have to, differ from the starting position. It is therefore possible to display signs, symbols and/or colors exactly through the viewing window(s) in such a manner that they can be displayed to the outside clearly, i.e. without being overlapped by an edge of the viewing window(s). This helps to avoid unclear situations which could arise if the signs, symbols or colors mentioned are at least partially overlapped by the edge of the viewing window or of the viewing windows and are only partially displayed.
Alternatively or in addition, in other variant embodiments, the stop element or the stop elements is or are formed by parts with mechanical interlocking connection on the rotary body and on the housing, preferably in the form of support rings on the rotary body and support rings on the housing, which support rings are formed with mutual wavy parts.
Advantages are afforded here in particular by the fact that, after reaching the rest state, the toy or the exactly defined end position of the rotary body, and therefore the relative position of the signs, symbols or colors with respect to the housing, cannot be influenced by a magnetic environment and therefore a result may be falsified.
In a further embodiment, a guide axis of the rotary body is guided in a guide depression of the housing, in particular so as not to be tiltable laterally. In one variant embodiment, a rotary body point is mounted in the guide depression, which produces minimal friction. Alternatively or in addition, the rotary body point is mounted with a rolling bearing or a plurality of rolling bearings, for example ball bearings.
This affords important advantages insofar as the rotary body is securely mounted in such a manner that it cannot tip up irrespective of the ferocity of a strike or impact on the toy and, in addition, irrespective of the relative position of the toy or of the rotary body, and is nevertheless rotatable in an easy-running manner.
In another embodiment, the cylindrical outer wall of the toy is advantageously also of outwardly curved design, as a result of which it can be ensured that the toy falls onto the flat outer surfaces of the housing upper side or lower side should the toy by chance come to lie on the cylindrical outer wall thereof before the rest position is reached. This behavior of the toy is also supported in that, in a further advantageous embodiment, the toy is formed with a sliding edge which protrudes on the upper side and/or lower side from the housing. The sliding edge is advantageously formed outward and is of rounded design in such manner that said sliding edge makes even a random, but rather improbable, rest position in an oblique intermediate position on the cylinder edge of the toy impossible. In addition, the sliding edge prevents signs, symbols or colors which are imprinted or placed onto the housing upper side and/or lower side from being able to be scratched or damaged or become worn with increasing use of the game. In other embodiments, housing depressions or recesses, in which signs, symbols or colors can be provided or inserted in a protected manner, are also provided.
Brief description of the drawings Further preferred embodiments and advantages of the invention emerge from the dependant claims and from the description below with reference to the figures, in which:
figure 1 shows a perspective illustration of a toy, figure 2 shows a sectional view of the toy, figure 3 shows a perspective view of a rotary body, figure 4a shows a perspective view of an inside of a cylindrical housing upper part, figure 4b shows a perspective view of an inside of a cylindrical housing lower part, figure 5a shows an exploded illustration of a toy with I
. .
' CA 02877966 2014-12-29 counterparts arranged along a housing circumference opposite a magnet, figure 5b shows a view from above of the cylindrical housing upper part of the toy according to figure 5a, figure 5c shows a sectional view through the toy according to figure 5a along an axis A-A according to figure 5b, figure 6a shows an exploded illustration of a toy with counterparts arranged opposite the magnet on a lower flat surface of the inside of the housing, figure 6b shows a view from above of the cylindrical housing upper part of the toy according to figure 6a, and figure 6c shows a sectional view through the toy according to figures 6a along an axis C-C according to figure 6b.
Ways of implementing the invention Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic illustration of a toy 1 which has a housing which is joined together from a housing lower part 2 and a housing upper part 3 and is designed to be closable and openable in a clamped manner with a closure element 4. In addition, the housing is formed with an outwardly curved cylindrical outer wall 5, and also with sliding edges 6, 6' on both sides of the toy 1. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, the sliding edges 6, 6' are outwardly formed with projections 7, 7', by means of which signs, symbols or colors can be provided or inserted on the cylindrical outer wall 5 in a protected manner, wherein care =

should be taken to ensure that, as far as possible, they are not placed in the region of the greatest curvature 5. In addition, signs, symbols or colors can also be provided or placed on an upper and/or lower flat surface 8, 8' (figure 2) of the housing 2, 3. Furthermore, in the variant shown, a viewing window or a viewing opening 9 is provided in the flat surface 8. In addition, an identical viewing window or an identical viewing opening 9' is also provided opposite in the flat surface 8' (figure 4b).
Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the toy 1, with the housing and the rotary body 10 which is insertable in the toy 1 so as to be mounted rotatably about an axis x-x, in the manner of a gyroscope. An upper and a lower guide axis 11, 11' together with the respective rotary body points 12, 12' are admitted here into corresponding guide depressions or bores 13, 13' of the housing 2, 3 for the purpose of reducing friction. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the rotary body 10 slides with support rings 14 of the rotary body 10 on the support ring 15 (figure 4a, 4b) formed on the housing 2, 3.
With an unbalanced mass weight 16 (figure 3), the rotary body 10 can be set into rotation about the axis of rotation x-x thereof by a movement of the toy 1. In order to orient the rotary body 10 in an exactly defined manner in relation to the housing 2, 3 as it stops, at least one stop element is provided for the rotary body. The stop element is preferably formed by a magnet 17 which can be arranged, for example, in a recessed magnet shaft in the rotary body, and is formed by at least one corresponding ferromagnetic counterpart 18, for example in the form of a rod or a plate made of iron, on an inside of the housing 2, 3 or in depressions of the upper or lower side of the housing. A plurality of stop elements are generally provided, and this is achieved by a plurality of couterparts. Instead of or in addition to ferromagnetic couterparts, magnetic couterparts can also be provided.
Figure 3 shows a diagrammatic view of a rotary body 10, as already mentioned in figure 2. In this case, for example, a sign circle, symbol circle or color circle 19, 19' which is divided into sectors, is provided on the upper and lower side of said rotary body, depending on the variant embodiment, said circles being visible from outside the toy 1 through the viewing windows 9, 9'.
The magnet 17 also illustrated by figure 3 is oriented and adapted with respect to magnetic strength in such a manner that, when the rotational movement of the rotary body 10 about the axis z-z eases off (figure 2), the magnet is aligned with the ferromagnetic couterparts 18 embedded in the housing 2, 3 and the rotary body 10, as mentioned, stops in an exactly defined rest position. The magnet and each couterpart form a stop element. The signs, symbols or colors are therefore completely and entirely visible from the outside through the viewing windows 9, 9'. In particular, they are not partially covered or overlapped by a housing part 2, 3 after reaching the rest position.
While the unbalanced mass weight 16 placed in the rotary body 10 serves to bring the rotary body 10 into rotation and to keep the latter in rotation for as long as possible (for which purpose the magnet 17 also serves in the embodiment illustrated), the guide axes 11, 11', the rotary body points 12, 12' and the support ring 14 of the rotary body 10, and also the support ring 15 of the housing 2, 3 are configured in such a manner that the friction is as low as possible and, as a result, a braking effect is effectively reduced.
Figure 4a shows a diagrammatic view of the inside of a cylindrical housing upper part 3 and figure 4b shows a diagrammatic view of an inside of a cylindrical housing lower part 2. Particularly shown here are the ferromagnetic couterparts 18 which are designed in such a manner that, as mentioned, they orient the rotary body 10 in relation to the housing 2, 3 by means of the magnet 17 such that, at the moment of the rest position, an entire sign, a complete color or an entire symbol is visible in the viewing window 9, 9'.
In addition, two oppositely arranged, resiliently acting closure elements 4 are illustrated, said closure elements latching into corresponding, slot-shaped openings 20 when housing lower part 2 and housing upper part 3 are pushed together. The latching connection can be released again by hand, as a result of which the housing is openable again.
Figure 5a, for the purpose of better illustration, shows an exploded illustration of a toy 1' which is formed with ferromagnetic and magnetic couterparts 18, 18' opposite the magnet 17 in order to form the stop elements, wherein the couterparts 18, 18' are alternately arranged circularly at regular intervals in the interior of the housing lower part 2. In the variant embodiment shown, magnet 17 and ferromagnetic counterparts 18 act in an attracting manner to one another, and magnet 17 and magnetic counterparts 18' are arranged in such a manner that they act in a mutually repelling manner.
The arrangement of magnet 17 with ferromagnetic and magnetic counterparts 18, 18' according to figure 5a has the following effect when playing with the toy 1': first of all, the rotary body 10 comes into a persistent rotary movement in the interior of an assembled toy 1' during a game, for example by means of a strike with a miniaturized ice hockey stick (not illustrated), wherein the toy 1' itself is, for example, hit away on a miniaturized ice hockey field (likewise not illustrated). After the toy 1' finally comes to rest, for example at a point on the field mentioned, the rotary movement of the rotary body 1' gradually decreases in rotational speed, primarily because of friction.
If, shortly before the rotary body 10 comes to a standstill, the magnet 17 then comes to lie relatively close to one of the ferromagnetic counterparts 18 arranged on the housing circumference, the attracting force of the magnet 17 acts on said counterpart, and the rotary body finally comes to a standstill in an aligned manner. That is to say, one of the ferromagnetic couterparts 18 and the magnet 17 form a line with the circle center 21. The signs, symbols and/or colors (not shown for the sake of better clarity) which, in the embodiment shown, are provided circularly at regular intervals on an upper and a lower surface of a disk 22 then come to lie aligned exactly through the viewing windows 9, 9' in such a manner that they are clearly displayed to the outside, i.e. without being overlapped by an edge of the viewing window(s) 9, 9'. As mentioned, this helps to avoid unclear situations which could arise should the signs, symbols and/or colors mentioned be at least partially overlapped by the edge of the viewing window or of the viewing windows 9, 9' and therefore be only partially displayed.

If, by contrast, shortly before the rotary body 10 comes to a standstill, the magnet 17 comes to lie relatively far from one of the ferromagnetic couterparts 18 arranged on the housing circumference, i.e. approximately in the region of the center between two ferromagnetic counterparts 18, and therefore relatively close to the region of a magnetic counterpart 18', the magnet 17 is repelled by the magnetic counterpart 18' and therefore brought into the vicinity of one of the ferromagnetic counterparts 18, and therefore the previously described attraction between magnet and counterpart is then in effect. Unclear situations with regard to the illustration of the signs, symbols and/or colors through the viewing windows 9, 9' are thereby prevented.
In other variant embodiments (not illustrated), the signs, symbols and/or colors are placed in hollow regions 23 of the rotary body 10 so as to be visible outside the toy 1' on both sides through the viewing openings 9, 9', with no disk(s) 22 being provided. In yet another variant (not illustrated), a second disk 22 (not illustrated) is arranged on the opposite side of the rotary body 10. That is to say, the two disks 22 are arranged on a lower and an upper surface of the rotary body 10 and form what is referred to as a sandwich therewith.
In this sandwich variant, only the outsides of the two disks 22 are printed with signs, symbols and/or colors which are visible from outside the toy 1' through the viewing openings 9, 9'. In addition, the disk 22 is secured against relative rotation and displacement in relation to the rotary body 10 by means of guides 22' and 22", with just one guide 22' or 22" also being formed in other embodiments.

Figure 5b shows a view from above of the cylindrical housing upper part 3 of the toy 1' according to figure 5a, wherein, by way of example, a "B" is illustrated in the viewing window 9, and therefore a player "B" should thus play next or move the toy 1'.
Figure 5c shows a sectional view through the toy 1' according to figure 5a, wherein said toy is illustrated cut open along an axis A-A according to figure 5b. Said figure 5c illustrates in particular a ball bearing 24 which makes it possible for the rotary body 10 to be rotatable in a particularly easy-running manner.
Figure 6a shows an exploded illustration of a toy 1" with ferromagnetic and magnetic counterparts 18, 18' arranged circularly around the circle center 21 in relation to the magnet 17 on a lower flat surface of the inside of the housing 2. As already described in the exemplary embodiment of figure 5a, an attracting force acts between the ferromagnetic counterparts 18 and the magnet 17 and a repelling force acts between the magnetic counterparts 18' and the magnet 17. That is to say, when playing with the toy 1", the rotary body 10 behaves in the same manner as described in figure 5a.
In another variant embodiment (not illustrated), a combination of the arrangement of the ferromagnetic and magnetic counterparts, which arrangement is described in figure 5a and figure 6a, can be implemented.
Figure 6b shows a view from above of the cylindrical housing upper part 2 of the toy 1" according to figure 6a, wherein, in analogy to the description of figure 5b, an "A" is illustrated by way of example in the viewing window 9, and therefore a player "A" should thus play next or move the toy 1,,.
Figure 6b finally shows a sectional view through the toy 1"
according to figure 6a along an axis C-C according to figure 6b. Rotary body points (12, 12') are in particular illustrated therein, said rotary body points being mounted in corresponding guide depressions (13, 13') and likewise permitting particularly easy-running rotatability.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A toy (1, 1', 1") comprising a housing (2, 3) with at least one viewing opening (9, 9') and a rotary body (10) which is arranged in the housing (2, 3), is mounted rotatably therein, is formed with an unbalanced mass (16, 17) and is visible through the viewing opening (9, 9') and is provided in the viewing area with at least two different markings.

2. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the housing (2, 3) is of substantially cylindrical design with an upper side and a lower side, and has a diameter of upper and lower side, which diameter is greater than the height of the housing (2 3), and in particular in that the housing (2, 3) is configured in a disk-shaped manner with the proportions of an ice hockey puck.

3. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a viewing opening (9, 9') is provided in each case on the upper side and on the lower side of the housing (2, 3), in particular opposite each other, and/or in that at least one viewing opening is formed on the cylindrical outer wall (5) of the housing (2, 3).

4. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in either of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the upper and/or lower side of the rotary body (10) are/is provided with a multiplicity of signs, symbols and/or colors which are visible from the outside through the viewing opening(s) (9, 9') in the housing (2, 3).

5. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (2, 3) is designed in two parts and preferably so as to be closable and openable by means of closure elements (4).

6. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary body (10) and the housing (2, 3) have at least one interacting stop element (17, 18).

7. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the at least one stop element is formed by a magnet (17) and a ferromagnetic counterpart (18) and/or a magnetic couterpart (18').

8. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that a plurality of stop elements are provided in such a manner that a magnet arranged on the rotary body (10), preferably a magnet (17) arranged in a magnet shaft recessed in the rotary body, and a plurality of corresponding ferromagnetic and magnetic counterparts (18, 18') are formed alternating circularly on an inside of the housing (2, 3).

9. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that a plurality of stop elements are provided in such a manner that a magnet (17) arranged on the rotary body (10), preferably a magnet (17) arranged in a magnet shaft recessed in the rotary body, and corresponding ferromagnetic and magnetic counterparts (18, 18') are formed circularly on or in the upper and/or lower flat surface (8, 8') of the inside of the housing (2, 3).

10. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the at least one stop element is formed by parts with mechanical interlocking connection on the rotary body (10) and on the housing (2, 3), preferably in the form of support rings (14) on the rotary body (10) and support rings (15) on the housing (2, 3), which support rings are formed with mutual wavy parts.

11. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a guide axis (11, 11') of the rotary body (10) is guided in a guide depression (13, 13') of the housing (2, 3).

12. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that a rotary body point (12, 12') is mounted in the guide depression (13, 13'), and/or in that the rotary body point (12, 12') is mounted with at least one rolling bearing, in particular a ball bearing (24).

13. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the cylindrical outer wall (5) is of outwardly curved design.

14. The toy (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the toy (1, 1', 1") is formed with a sliding edge (6, 6').