GB2246962A - Toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy in the form of a helicoidal spring defined by a single continuous strip 11 of high impact plastics with a rectangular cross-section having a considerably reduced thickness and a width of approximately 0.6% of the maximum external diameter of the spring. These springs may have a cylindrical, polygonal tubular helicoidal format or a spiral helicoidal format. <IMAGE>

Description

TOY DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a new form of toy in the shape of a helicoidal spring.

Toys in the form of cylindrical tubular helicoidal springs comprising a helicoidally arranged continuous strip which has some flexibility so that the turns can move when the two ends of the spring are handled by the two hands of one user or by the hands of two separate users are known. Such toys can be manipulated to thus produce a series of continuous undulating or non-undulating movements which are pleasurable to watch and entertaining.

These known toys are deficient in that the range through which their turns can be moved is limited.

Also, the toys suffer considerable limitations in terms of the variety of movements which can be adopted by their turns when they are in use. The restriction to their movement being normally due to the fact that the turns are double turns and are made of hard metal materials.

Doubling of the turns tends to cause them to osbstruct each other while the toy is in use, and this has a considerable adverse effect on the elastic movement of the turns, and, consequently, the spring. In addition to this the use of hard metal materials makes the movement of the turns unpleasantly noisy, heavy and rather uncomfortable.

The purpose of this innovation is to provide a toy in the form of a helicoidal spring of reduced weight which can produce an enormous range of harmonic entertaining and relaxing movements when manipulated by a user, without any risk of the turns fouling each other and without producing any disagreeable noise which detracts from the harmony of the possible movements which can be obtained.

The abovementioned objective is achieved by means of a toy, in the form of a helicoidal spring formed from a continuous strip of high impact plastics material, which has a rectangular transverse cross-seciton of considerably reduced thickness and a width of some 0.6% of the maximum external diameter of the spring.

The invention will be more particularly understood in relation to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a front-lateral perspective view of a toy in accordance with the invention and in the form of a cylindrical tubular helicoidal spring; Figure 2 shows a lateral elevation view of the same spring illustrated in Figure 1, but in a resting condition after its upper base has turned through 1800 to rest alongside the lower base on the same level; Figure 3 shows a lateral elevation view of the same spring illustrated in Figure 1, but undergoing a series of undulatory movements at different levels; Figure 4 shows a front-lateral perspective view of a toy in accordance with the invention and in the form of a tubular helicoidal spring having a hexagonal polygonal transverse cross-section in a resting position;; Figure 5 shows a front-lateral perspective view of a toy in accordance with the invention and in the form of a tubular helicoidal spring of octagonal polygonal transverse cross-section and in a resting position; Figure 6 shows a front-lateral perspective fiew of a toy in accordance with the invention and in the form of a tubular helicoidal spring of twisted hexagonal polygonal transverse cross-section when wholly compressed; Figure 7 shows an upper plan view of a toy in accordance with the invention and in the form of a helicoidal spring of conical format, again in a resting position; Figure 8 shows a lateral elevation view of the same spring illustrated in Figure 7, but with its base mounted on a form of racquet and also illustrating, in exploded view, a hook which may optionally be incorporated at the top of the spring as a replacement for the racquet, and;; Figure 9 shows an elevation view of the same spring illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 when in the resting position.

In accordance with these illustrations the toy comprises a spring 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 formed of a single continuous strip 11, 21, 31, 41 and 51 wound helicoidally and manufactured from a high impact plastics material having a rectangular transverse cross-section of considerably reduced thickness and a width of approximately 0.68 of the maximum external diameter of the spring.

In the tubular helicoidal configurations in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the spring of springs 10, 20, 30 and 40 is wound in the form of turns or coils which abut against each other on their larger sides when the springs are in a resting position.

Tubular helicoidal springs 10, 20, 30 and 40 illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 make it possible to achieve undulating movements of different intensity in one plane when the ends are transversely displaced in reciprocal movements by a user or users. These tubular helicoidal springs also make it possible to achieve undulating movements when descending steps, as illustrated in Figure 3, or to form different curved arrangements such as that illustrated in Figure 2.

The helicoidal spring shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 can undergo reciprocal axial movements relative to its spiral configureation, in which the reciprocating axial movement the spiral strip 51 describes the movement illustrated in Figure 8, between the positions shown in solid and broken lines and passing through an intermediate neutral resting condition illustrated in Figures 7 and 9.

In the example in Figure 8, a hoop 52 incorporating a handle end 53 is attached to the base of spiral helicoidal spring 50 so as to form a sort of open racquet through which the spiral helicoidal spring moves from one side to the other when it is subjected to a certain movement applied to the racquet by the user.

This spiral helicoidal spring 50 may optionally be attached by its top to a hook 54 to allow the performance of similar reciprocal axial movements by the spring.

Claims (9)

1. A toy in the form of a helicoidal spring, characterised in that the spring comprises a continuous strip of high impact plastics material, with a rectangular transverse cross-seciton of substantially greater width than thickness, the width of the strip being approximately 0.68 of the maximum external diameter of said helicoidal spring.

2. A toy according to claim 1, characterised in that the helicoidal spring is tubular, with its turns abutting against each other through the larger sides of the continous strip when at rest.

3. A toy according to claim 2, characterised in that the tubular helicoidal spring is substantially cylindrical.

4. A toy according to claim 2, characterised in that the tubular helicoidal spring has a polygonal transverse cross-sectional periphery.

5. A toy according to claim 4, characterised in that the polygonal tubular helicoidal spring is twisted.

6. A toy according to claim 1, characterised in 'S that the helicoidal spring the form of a spiral.

7. A toy according to claim 6, characterised in that a hoop incorporating a handle is attached to the base of the spiral helicoidal spring, in order to provide racquet means with an open centre.

8. A toy according to claim 6, characterised in that the spiral helicoidal spring is provided with hook means at an upper end.

9. A toy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.