GB2080122A - Rebound toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A rebound toy has a central tubular member (12) with spherical rebound members (14, 16) at each end. When tossed against a hard surface such as a floor, the toy will rebound in a direction and with an angular motion dependent on its orientation at the time of impact with the hard surface. It is intended to be used by one or more players. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rebound toy device The present invention relates generally to rebound toy devices and, more particularly, to the type of toy devices which are projected against a hard surface from which they rebound and are intended to be caught.

The most popular rebound toy device of the type over which the present invention is an improvement, is a rubber ball. "Rubber Ball" is intended to mean a ball made of rubber or any of a large number of polymeric materails which cause the ball to bounce with greater or lesser efficiency. Included in this class of balls are the higher compression or super bouncing balls formed of various silicone rubber materials. These are widely marketed as play toys and are also used as the centre of golf balls to give them better range. The manner of manufacture and the various available materials suitable for manufacturing high-bounce balls is well known and regularly practised in the art.

Under normal circumstances, it can be expected that a ball will bounce off of a smooth flat surface with an angle equal to the angle at which it was incident to the surface, much as a beam of light will reflect from a mirror.

Although it is possible to control the bouncing characteristic of the ball to a small extent by putting spins on the ball this is very restricted.

It is because of this characteristic that the toy ball has gained great popularity for many uses, including handball, paddle ball and other sports in which the ball bounces off of a front wall; stickball and other similar bat games; and games wherein the ball is bounced from the ground. However, when bouncing the ball from the ground, one is restricted in the response to be expected from the ball. Although this restricted reflected-like action of the ball is an important characteristic for the bat-type games and the wall-type games, when the ball is intended to be used in a bouncing-off-the-ground type game, the restricted action of the ball is a disadvantage.

One can bounce a ball against the ground and catch it while it is in the air or one can toss the ball at an angle at the ground and have it bounce or reflect upwardly to another player.

Little skill is required and such games are normally quickly boring to all but young children.

The present invention is intended as a rebound-type or bouncing-type toy device which can be thrown downwardly against a hard surface and rebound with various characteristics depending on the manner in which it is thrown and the angle at which it is disposed when it strikes the surface. The device can be used by simply throwing it downwardiy against the ground and catching it as it bounces up, or the player using the device can develop skills in the manner in which the device is thrown, whereby considerable control over the device may be gained. Thus, if additional players are involved, the device can be tossed at the ground or other hard surface and caused to be bounced into the air at various angles and at various spin rates.The restrictions and limited usefulness of a normal toy rubber ball are overcome by the unique construction of the present invention, as described hereinbelow.

According to the present invention, there is provided a rebound toy device to be thrown against a hard surface from which it rebounds, comprising an elongated member having first and second end portions; a first rebound means having a generally spherical shape and being secured at said first end portion; and a second rebound means being substantially the same size and shape as said first rebound means and being secured near said second end portion.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rebound toy device constructed according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an elevational view, partially in section and partially exploded, of the device of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a rebound toy device similar to the device of Fig. 1 but with a different securing means; and Figure 4 is an elevational view, partially in section and partially exploded, of the device of Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a rebound device 10 of the present invention comprises generally a central tube 1 2 having a first compression rebound means 14 secured near one end of the tube 1 2 and a second compression rebound means 1 6 secured at the other end of the central tube 1 2.

With reference to Fig. 2, the central tube 1 2 is preferably a thin-walled cylinder 18 for light weight. The compression rebound means 14, 1 6 are preferably substantially identical spherical-shaped devices 20, 22 having a stub 24, 26, respectively, integrally formed therewith. The spherical compression rebound means 14, 1 6 are preferably moulded of high compression rebound material such as is used in super bounce balls, thereby to give the device greater rebound capabilities.

In order to secure the rebound means 14, 16 firmly to the tube 12, each stub 24, 26 is formed with an annular groove 28, 30, respectively. An inner annular flange 32, 34 is formed adjacent the first and second ends of tube 12, respectively, by crimping or otherwise forming tube 12, depending on the material of which tube 1 2 is formed and the method of manufacture. As illustrated in Fig.

2, when the rebound means 1 6 is secured in place on the end of tube 12, the inner annular flange 34 is seated in annular groove 30.

The central tube 1 2 should be light compared with the rebound means and is preferably formed of polyethylene material by injection moulding, blow moulding, or injection blow moulding, although light weight metal and other materials may be used.

The resulting device is to be tossed or thrown against a surface so that one of the rebound devices at the end of the tube hits the surface. This causes the device to rebound into the air with a spinning action. The angle of the tube to the surface will control the direction and amount of spin of the rebound action of the device. If the angle measured between the tube and the surface, as measured on the side from which the tube is tossed, is an acute angle, the device will bounce back in the direction from which it came. If the angle between the tube and the surface is an obtuse angle, the device will rebound in a forward direction continuing along the line from which it came with a spin in the opposite direction from that it would have if it returned back in the direction from which it came. If the tube is perpendicular to the surface, the device will bounce generally upwardly.The actual bouncing characteristic of the device will depend on the manner in which it is thrown, the speed, the spin direction, and other factors such as the nature of the surface.

A second preferred embodiment is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 where similar elements have been given similar numbers. This embodiment is essentially the same as and operates in the manner of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, except that the securing means to the tube is different. Thus, as with the above-described embodiment and with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, the rebound device 110 comprises generally a central tube 11 2 with first and second compression rebound means 114, 11 6 secured at opposite ends.

Generally stated, rebound means 114,116 are secured to the tube 11 2 by the seating of an outer flange on the tube 11 2 in an enlarged diameter cavity in the rebound means 114, 116. With reference to Figs. 3 and 4, an outer flange 130, 1 32 is formed at each end of tube 112. The compression rebound means 114, 11 6 are preferably spherical shaped devices such as balls 1 20, 1 22 and have formed therein a cavity 1 50, 1 52, respectively, with an enlarged diameter recess 1 54, 1 56, respectively, at the ends thereof.

The tube 11 2 and spherically shaped devices 1 20, 1 22 can be snapped together by forcing the flanged ends into the cavity until they seat in the associated recess, to assemble the rebound device. As described in detail above with respect to the first embodiment, the tube 11 2 is preferably a thin-walled light weight cylinder 11 8. The balls 1 20, 1 22 are high rebound rubber material. Typically, the balls 1 20, 1 22 are about 1 Q inches in diameter and are secured to a 7 inch tube which is about 3 inch in diameter. These dimensions can vary as desired, although it has been found that larger balls result in a device somewhat easier to control.

Claims (7)

1. A rebound toy device to be thrown against a hard surface from which it rebounds, comprising an elongated member having first and second end portions; a first rebound means having a generally spherical shape and being secured at said first end portion; and a second rebound means being substantially the same size and shape as said first rebound means and being secured near said second end portion.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second rebound means includes a high compression ball and said device fur-.

ther comprises complementary securing means formed on said ball and said member to secure each said ball to said end portions of said elongated member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said elongated member comprises a tube having a predetermined inner diameter and open end portions, said securing means comprising a stub extending from each said ball and sized to fit into said tube, each said stub having an annular groove formed therein, and an inner flange extending inwardly from said tube in each end portion and seated in said annular groove to anchor said stub in said tube, whereby said balls are secured to said tube at opposite ends thereof.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said securing means comprises outer flanges disposed near each end of said elongated member and extending radially outwardly thereof; and an enlarged diameter cavity formed in said balls, sized to receive and anchor therein said flanges, whereby said balls are secured to said elongated member.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said elongated member com-' prises a tube of substantially rigid material which is light in weight as compared with said first and second rebound means.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said rebound means comprise high compression high bounce material and said elongated member comprises a cylinder of substantially rigid material being light in weight as compared with said spherical members.

7. A rebound toy device substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.