WO1981001370A1

WO1981001370A1 - Throwing device for flying toys

Info

Publication number: WO1981001370A1
Application number: PCT/SE1980/000282
Authority: WO
Inventors: O Lyrsell
Original assignee: O Lyrsell
Priority date: 1979-11-12
Filing date: 1980-11-10
Publication date: 1981-05-28
Also published as: SE7909333L; SE433042B

Abstract

The normal application of the type of flying toys requiring rotation about their own axis for their function (for example flying saucers of the type FRISBEE(R) or boomerangs) proceeds so, that the user by a forceful hand throw imparts to the toy rotation and translation. The throwing device renders it possible to replace the hand throw by a high-energy throwing procedure, and it consists substantially of a reel (1) connected to the flying toy, a flexile cord (3), one end of which is mounted attached to the outer end surface (1b) of the reel, and a cord derailment protection (4) having a zone provided with a recess (10) or a radially projecting member. In operation, the cord is caused to wind off the reel (1) whereby the toy is caused to rotate. When the cord is fully wound off, the cord is disengaged from the reel (1) by migrating at said zone through the plane of the cord derailment protection (4), whereafter the flying toy in agreement with the principle of a stone sling can be imparted with a high throw-out speed.

Description

Throwing device for flying tovs

This invention relates to a throwing device to be used at play with flying toys of the type requiring for their function rotation about their own axis. Examples of such flying toys are flying saucers of the type FRISBEE ^(R) and boomerangs.

Normally said flying toys are used in such a way, that the user takes the toy in his hand and with a forceful throw imparts to the toy rotation and translation. It goes without saying that the flight path described by the flying toy is limited by the strength of the user's arm and, thus, by the energy, which the user by his forceful throw is capable to impart to the toy.

A throwing device, which ensures that a flying toy of the aforesaid kind is imparted with rotation sufficient for its function, is described in US-PS 3 935 6S3. According to said patent specification, at the same time as the throwing by hand is carried out a flexible cord wound on a reel rigidly connected to the flying toy is unwound from the reel and thereby produces increasing rotation of the flying toy all the time to the moment when the cord is entirely unwound and released from the reel. Also in this case the same energy amount, i.e. the work, which can be performed by a rapid arm movement, is transferred unchanged, and only its distribution on rotation and translation of the flying toy is affected by this device.

It would be desirable to replace the forceful throw by hand by some alternative throw procedure, which renders it possible for the user to impart τo the flying toy a higher rotation energy and, in combination therewith, a higher s^eed of rotation, and a higher kinetic energy and, in combinationtherewith, a higher translation speed than it normally is possible. One example of such an alternative throwing procedure of high energy is described below with reference to the accompanying sequence of Figures comprising the Figures 1 to 5. Fig. 1 shows a user in starting position. By a forceful movement of the forearm, according to Fig. 2, rotation energy is built up in such a manner, that the flying toy commences to rotate with increasing rotation speed, at the same time as it removes itself from the throwing arm of the user. When the flying toy in Fig. 3 has reached its maximum radial distance from the user's throwing hand, the toy starts describing a substantially circular path with constant radius while maintaining the stored rotation energy. By moving the throwing hand, according to Fig. 4, with the help of the forearm and wrist in a suitable circular movement relative to the circular path of the flying toy, and simultaneously exercizing a thrust acting on the flying toy, the flying toy is caused to assume an ever increasing tangential speed and thereby stores an increasing kinetic energy. After one or more revolutions, as shown in Fig. 5, the throw-out follows in that the flying toy at a special point is permitted to leave the circular path in tangential direction. It is understood that at a throwing procedure according to above an energy amount can be stored in the flying toy all the time until the moment of throw oυt which is substantially higher than in the case of a normal forceful throw by hand.

The present invention has the main object of providing a device, by means of which a high-energy throwing procedure as described above is rendered possible. This desire arises especially when the user of the flying toy wants to achieve a longer flying distance and flying time than normally obtainable. A further object is to provide a device of the said kind, which is of simple design, reliable operation and, besides, cheap to manufacture without detrimentally affecting the aerodynamic properties of the flying toy. This is achieved due to the characterizing features defined in the attached claims.

An embodiment of the invention subject matter and the method of application is described in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 to 5 show a throwing procedure when using the throwing device, Fig. 6 is a partionally sectional lateral view, and Fig. 7 is a horizontal view of the throwing device without the cord provided with a fittings and a handle, Fig. 3 shows said cord,

Fig. 9 shows on a smaller scale the complete throwing device mounted on a flying saucer of so-called "Frisbee"-type (registered trademark ), and Fig. 10 shows an alternative storing of the cord at the throwing device.

The reference numeral 1 designates a reel intended at one end 1a by means of a screw joint in the mounting holes 2 to be attached to a flying toy, with the reel substantially being coaxial with the axis of rotation of the flying toy. It is, of course, possible within the scope of the invention to attach one end la of the reel by some other detachable or rigid joint to the flying toy, or the reel 1 may be formed simultaneously and integral with the flying toy. On the reel 1, which consists of a cylinder with circular cross- -section and small axial extension and provided internally with a hole, a flexible cord 3 is wound and unwound therefrom. The reel 1, of course, may be designed in a different way within the scope of the invention, and may, for example, consist of a plurality of short pins in parallel with the axis of the resulting reel, which pins at one end are mounted on the flying toy along some closed curve, for example a circle. The other end 1b of the reel is provided with a radially projecting cord derailment protection 4, which is designed as a circle ring disc rigidly connected to and coaxial with the reel. The function of the cord derailment protection 4 is to prevent the cord wound on the reel 1 from sliding off the reel when being unwound. The cord derailment protection 4, of course, may be designed in a different way within the scope of the invention, for example it may consist of a plurality of radially projecting pins distributed in the peripheral direction. The other end 1b of the reel is provided with a projecting axle journal 5 substantially coaxial with the reel. Said axle journal 5 terminates in a circular end plate 6. The cord 3 is provided at one end 3a with a fittings 7, which at the end remote from the cord is provided with a hole so that a bearing hole 3 adapted for the axle journal 5 is obtained. Said bearing hole 3 is connected to a mounting hole 9 , the diameter of which slightly exceeds the diameter of the end plate 6, thereby rendering possible the supported attachment of the fittings 7, and therewith of the cord 3, on the axle journal 5. Also other embodiments rendering possible free rotation between the cord 3 and the reel 1, of course, are imaginable within the scope of the invention. The end 3a of the cord can be mounted over a pivotal rotation joint 12 according to Fig. 10, or over a ball joint with a ball supported in a spherical recess (not shown). The cord may also be attached with the end 3a directly and without fittings on the other end 1b of the reel, whereby the cord 3 by itself carries the necessary bearing function. When usinq; the throwing device, the fittings 7 with the cord end 3a connected thereto are attached to the axle journal 5. The cord is led from one end 3a and is guided at the V-shaped recess 10 through the plane for the cord derailment protection 4 and is wound some revolutions on the reel 1. The throwing procedure when using the throwing device is described below with reference to Figs. 1-5.

Fig. 1: The user assumes starting position and takes the flying toy, in this case a flying saucer of the type (R) FRISBEE ,in one hand. With the other hand, which is the throwing hand, the user embraces the other end 3b of the cord which is provided with a means 11 of good gripping capacity.

Fig. 2 : By a forceful forearm movement with the arm of the throwing hand, the throwing arm, and simultaneous release of the flying toy, a force is brought about which, acting on the distance of the reel radius to the rotation axis of the flying toy, forces the flying toy to commence rotating with increasing rotation speed at the same time as it is removed from the throwing hand in a curved path.

Fig. 3: When the cord is completely unwound, it is disconnected from the reel 1 due to the fact, that the momentary contact point between the stretched part of the cord unv/ound and the reel at the recess 10 migrates through the plane of the cord derailment protection 4. Thereafter the flying toy can rotate freely in relation to the cord 3 with fully unwound cord.

Fig. 4: When the cord 3 has been released from the reel 1, the flying toy has assumed its highest rotation speed, and the user, in agreement with the principle of a stone slung, can start to impart to the flying toy an increasing tangential speed in its continued substantially circular path.

Fig. 5: After one or more revolutions in the substantially circular path the throw-out follows, in that the user releases the other end 3b of the cord when the flying toy is in a suitable point of its path.

The V-shaped recess 10 in the cord derailment protection 4 renders a good disengagement function possible which due to the symmetry of the recess is independent of the rotation direction and prevents the cord 3 after disengagement to get hooked in the cord derailment protection 4 or reel 1. It is, of course, possible within the scope of the invention to design the recess 10 in a different way, for example by providing the cord derailment protection 4 with two recesses, one for each rotation direction, or the recess 10 may be replaced by a member, for example a short pin, radially projecting from the periphery 4a of the cord derailment protection.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment described above only by way of example and shown in the drawings, but can be varied in its details within the scope of the attached claims and without abandoning the basic idea of the invention.

Claims

1. A throwing device for flying toys, which for their function require rotation about an axle, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises a reel (1) with small axial extension, one end (1a) of which is rigidly connected or attachable to the toy substantially coaxially with the axis of rotation of the toy, and the other end (1b) of which is provided with a radially projecting cord derailment protection (4), for example in the form of a circle ring disc coaxial with the reel axle, that a flexible cord (3) with one end (3a) is attached to or mounted at the other end (1b) of the reel and from there through the plane of the cord derailment: protection (4), preferably over an irregularity (10) on the cord derailment protection, can be wound on the reel (1), and at operation, while rotation is imparted to the toy, can be wound off the reel back through the plane of the cord derailment protection (4), whereby the cord (3) is disengaged from the reel (1), so that the reel, for example prior to a hurl-like throw, together with the toy can rotate freely in relation to the cord (3) which thereby is stretched.

2. A throwing device as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the irregularity of the cord derailment protection is a V-shaped radially outward open recess (10) with rounded-off corners.

3. A throwing device as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the irregularity of the cord derailment protection is a radially projecting lug.