US20110287686A1

US20110287686A1 - Flying disk toy

Info

Publication number: US20110287686A1
Application number: US13/072,157
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence I. Wechsler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-03-25
Filing date: 2011-03-25
Publication date: 2011-11-24

Abstract

A toy includes a generally disk-shaped body, a periphery of which includes a bottom which lies generally on a plane. The disk-shaped body further includes a series of protrusions on an undersurface of the disk, disposed radially inward of the periphery, which extend beyond the plane on which the periphery lies, such that the disk is supported by the protrusions when resting on a support surface, such as the ground, leaving the periphery elevated from the support surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a flying disk, and more particularly to a flying disk of the type used for throwing between individual players for a game of catch, and for fetch play with pets.
With conventional disk designs, if the disk should land on the ground, contact is made between the outer rim of the disk and the ground surface on which it is supported, thereby making pickup difficult, either by a hand of the player, or in a dogs mouth.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a flying disk which overcomes this and other drawbacks of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with these and other objects of the invention, an embodiment of the invention includes a toy with a generally disk-shaped body, a periphery of which includes a lower edge which lies generally on a plane. The disk-shaped body further includes one or a series of protrusions on an undersurface of the disk body, disposed radially inward of the periphery, which extend beyond the plane on which the periphery lies, such that the disk is supported by the protrusions when resting on a support surface, such as the ground, leaving the periphery elevated from the support surface.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the protrusions are formed by projections of the disk body which leave openings (or indentations) above the protrusions, each of a size sufficient to allow a top mold half, during molded production with top and bottom mold halves being brought together and then released, to clear the openings and form the top surfaces of the protrusions within the indentations. By virtue of such configuration, a material thickness of the protrusions can advantageously be made comparable to a corresponding thickness of adjacent areas of the disk body, if so desired. This approach also allows multiple disks of like construction to nest when shipped or displayed, by allowing protrusions of one disk to be received in the openings (indentations) of another disk.
It is noted, however, that the protrusions can alternatively be made of solid material from an upper surface to the bottoms of the protrusions, leaving no indentations) without departure from the invention. Furthermore, rather than providing plural, circumferentially spaced-apart protrusions, a single circumferentially arranged protruding structure could be alternatively provided, which extends at least substantially around the disk, inset radially from the periphery.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the figures, an embodiment of a flying disk toy according to the invention is depicted. As shown therein, the toy, generally designated by the numeral 10, includes a generally disk-shaped body 1 which is advantageously, although not necessarily, shaped to provide aerodynamic lift (for example, having a generally convex upward facing surface and concave downwardly facing surface (or respective compound curved surfaces, as shown). A series of downward projections 2 are provided to said body 1, circumferentially spaced apart, and radially inset from an outermost peripheral rim 1 a of the body 1. Advantageously, as shown, openings 3 corresponding positionally to the projections 2 are provided in the body 1, to allow structure of the mold in which the toy is molded to extend downwardly to a top surface of the projections 2, so as to permit control of a thickness of structure defining the projections 2.
The disk-shaped body 1 has a periphery 1 a of which includes a lower edge 1 b which lies generally on a plane P (see FIG. 3). While depicted generally as open “loops,” the projections 2 can take any suitable form which is effective to support the disk when on a support surface, such as, for example, indented conical, cylindrical or other shaped projections, so as to keep the lower edge 1 b of the periphery 1 a of the disk spaced apart from the support surface, for facilitated pick-up by an individual or pet.
In the embodiment shown, small openings 4 are advantageously provided for accommodating packaging loop fasteners or other mounting elements therethrough, which serve to facilitate consumer packing of the disk, for example, for attaching a header card for peg mounting in a retail outlet.
An alternative embodiment places one or more protrusions at a center of the disk body, the disk body thereby resting on the surface in a tilted orientation such that only one side of the disk is spaced apart from the ground (support surface). In a further embodiment, the same effect (i.e., tilted orientation) is achieved by protrusions set radially inward or the periphery which are not dispersed entirely around the circumference of the disk body.
The flying disk toy according to an embodiment of the invention can be made of any suitable material, for example, those already used for conventional flying disks, including for example, natural and synthetic rubber or plastic, and by any suitable production method, for example, injection or compression molding.
Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise embodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flying disk, comprising:

a generally disk-shaped body having a periphery; and

at least one projection which extends downward of the body beyond a plane generally coincident with a lower edge of the periphery such that when the body is received on a support surface, the lower edge of the periphery is elevated above the support surface and spaced apart therefrom.

2. A flying disk according to claim 1, wherein the at least one projection is formed so as to leave an opening or indentation above the projection having a size sufficient to allow a top mold half, during molded production with top and bottom mold halves being brought together and then released, to clear the opening or indentation and form a top surface of the at least one projection within the opening or indentation.

3. A flying disk according to claim 1, wherein the at least one projection includes multiple circumferentially spaced-apart protrusions.

4. A flying disk according to claim 1, wherein said generally disk-shaped body includes small openings for accommodating packaging loop fasteners or other mounting elements therethrough.

5. A flying disk according to claim 1, wherein said generally disk-shaped body is comprised of an elastomeric material.

6. A flying disk according to claim 3, wherein said multiple circumferentially spaced-apart protrusions are spaced radially inward of said periphery.