WO1998041297A1 - Jouets - Google Patents

Jouets Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1998041297A1
WO1998041297A1 PCT/AU1998/000158 AU9800158W WO9841297A1 WO 1998041297 A1 WO1998041297 A1 WO 1998041297A1 AU 9800158 W AU9800158 W AU 9800158W WO 9841297 A1 WO9841297 A1 WO 9841297A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
plaything
board
playing surface
spinning
handle
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU1998/000158
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Desmond James Henderson
David Szumer
Original Assignee
Anjar Co
Yo Ho Enterprises Australia Pty. Ltd.
Hatterhurst Pty. Ltd.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Anjar Co, Yo Ho Enterprises Australia Pty. Ltd., Hatterhurst Pty. Ltd. filed Critical Anjar Co
Priority to AU62855/98A priority Critical patent/AU6285598A/en
Publication of WO1998041297A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998041297A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F9/00—Games not otherwise provided for
    • A63F9/16—Spinning-top games

Definitions

  • the invention relates to amusements, games and playthings.
  • it relates to means and apparatus whereby to activate a top, or other like type spinning means, and manoeuvre the top around a playing surface or board.
  • tops for amusement purposes. Some tops have been utilised as solitary playing pieces but the use of tops in association with particular playing surfaces has been limited. The range of activities that can be achieved with spinning tops can be broader. Relatively few examples of spinning top games are known in the prior art. Reference may be had to United States patent number 4467554 in the name of Russell. The Russell patent describes a very complex spinning toy that has counter-rotating assemblies of glittering metal. The toy is purely aesthetic in its appeal with no player interaction. At the opposite end of the complexity scale is a very simple spinning top toy that is manually spun and then manipulated around a simple track on a board. This is described in United States patent number 4681320 in the name of Hildebrandt.
  • a mechanical device for spinning a top is described in United States patent number 4932918 in the name of Onoda.
  • the Onoda patent describes a spring wound mechanical motor which rotates a socket having a spiral groove formed therein.
  • a top has a corresponding spiral projection formed on part of the outer surface such that the top automatically leaves the socket when spun to a high speed by the motor.
  • the aim of the toy is to provide a one touch operation to spin a top to high speed.
  • the invention resides in a plaything comprising : a top having a lowermost point upon which the top spins; a mechanism for spinning and ejecting the top such that the top lands upon the lowermost point; a board associated with the mechanism, said board having at least one playing surface with a tortuous path thereon; wherein a game is playable by manipulation of the board to direct the top along the tortuous path or a portion of the tortuous path.
  • the top may suitably comprise a central shaft with radial ribs projecting therefrom and a peripheral ring supported by the ribs. A top of this type allows clear view of the lowermost point of the central shaft and the path in which the top is directed.
  • the plaything further comprises a handle upon which the board is mounted for one handed manipulation.
  • the mechanism is conveniently located within the handle.
  • the mechanism is a spring activated rotating shaft that spins the top to a desired speed.
  • the rotating shaft may be driven by a motor that is battery powered.
  • the spring activated mechanism preferably incorporates an overwind protection device.
  • the mechanism suitably incorporates an ejector pin that is trigger activated to eject the top from the mechanism onto the playing surface of the board.
  • the board may be double sided with a playing surface on the top and a different playing surface on the bottom. The top is ejected onto the top playing surface.
  • the board is removably associated with the mechanism.
  • the plaything may therefore consist of a plurality of boards each having a different designed playing surface.
  • the playing surface ideally has three dimensional characteristics.
  • the surface features provide challenges to a player when manipulating the top across the playing surface.
  • the playing surface may have relief that imitates natural objects, such as mountains and craters.
  • the top may follow a path from feature to feature or can be jumped between features.
  • FIG 1 is a perspective view of a plaything
  • FIG 2 is a plan view of the top surface of the board shown in FIG 1 ;
  • FIG 3 shows a sketch of a top
  • FIG 4 shows an example of a surface feature
  • FIG 5 shows another example of a surface feature
  • FIG 6 shows a section of a handle
  • F FIIGG 77 shows a sketch of a drive shaft
  • FIG 8 shows a sectional view of the base of the drive shaft of
  • FIG 7
  • FIG 9 shows a sketch of an ejector pin
  • FIG 10 shows a sketch of a trigger rod
  • F FIIGG 1111 shows an alternate embodiment of a plaything
  • FIG 12 shows another embodiment of a plaything.
  • a plaything generally indicated as 1.
  • the plaything 1 consists of a board 2 supported on a handle 3 that incorporates a mechanism (described below) for spinning and ejecting a top 4 (shown in FIG 3).
  • the board 2 has a playing surface 5 on a top side and a different playing surface 6 on the opposite side.
  • the handle 3 and the board 2 can be separated to allow the board to be flipped over for play on the second playing surface.
  • Other boards having different playing surfaces can be associated with the handle as desired.
  • the top 4 is positioned in an aperture 9 in the top of the handle 3.
  • a spring in the mechanism is wound with thumb wheel 7 to store potential energy.
  • the potential energy in the spring is translated to kinetic energy to rotate a drive shaft that rotates the top.
  • an ejector pin forces the top 4 from the aperture 9 and onto the playing surface 5.
  • a player may then manipulate the board 2 to direct the top 4 along a tortuous path on the playing surface 5. If desired, the path to be followed could be indicated by a series of lights embedded in the playing surface.
  • a microcircuit (not shown) could illuminate the lights in a random or predetermined sequence.
  • the playing surface may incorporate craters, such as 10, ramps, such as 11 and concentric tracks, such as 12.
  • Other features may include mazes, such as the one shown schematically in FIG 4 or narrow tracks exemplified in FIG 5.
  • the game is enhanced if the lowermost point 13 of the top 4 is clearly visible when directing the top across the playing surface.
  • the top shown in FIG 4 consists of a central shaft 14 from which a number of ribs 15 project to terminate in a ring 16. A number of open spaces 17 are defined between the ribs and the ring through which a clear view of the lowermost point 13 is available.
  • the mechanism for spinning and ejecting the top is seen most clearly in FIG 6.
  • the mechanism is contained within the casing of the handle 3 which has a reduced diameter portion 18 at an upper end.
  • the reduced diameter portion 18 is insertable in aperture 9 in the board 2, in the manner shown in FIG 6.
  • the mechanism consists of a drive shaft 19 mounted within the handle 3.
  • the drive shaft is conveniently formed in an upper half 20 and a lower half 21.
  • the top of the upper half 21 projects slightly beyond the reduced portion 18 of the handle 3.
  • the top 4 seats into a socket 22 in the top of the drive shaft 19.
  • the socket 22 and the central shaft 14 of the top 4 have complimentary shapes so that the top will rotate with the drive shaft.
  • the socket may have a square section and the bottom of the central shaft will also be square so as to seat lightly into the socket.
  • the thumb wheel 7 is formed as part of the lower half 21 of the drive shaft 19.
  • a torsion spring 23 is mounted coaxial with the drive shaft.
  • the torsion spring is shown cut away in FIG 6 for ease of understanding.
  • One end of the torsion spring 23 is held in the handle in seat 24.
  • the other end of the torsion spring is attached to the thumb wheel 7 so that rotation of the thumb wheel energises the torsion spring and biases the drive shaft into rotation when the thumb wheel is released.
  • a trigger rod 25 has a pawl 26 at one end that engages ratchet slots 27 in the thumb wheel 7. This can be seen most clearly in FIG 8.
  • Each ratchet slot 27 has a sloping floor leading from the upper surface 28 of the thumb wheel to a sheer edge. The direction of slope of each sloping floor is indicated by the arrows in FIG 8.
  • a spring 29 biases the trigger rod 24 into contact with the upper surface 28.
  • the thumb wheel is rotated the pawl 26 drops over a sheer edge and rides up the sloping floor to the upper surface.
  • the drive shaft 19 rotates in opposite direction under the influence of the torsion spring 23 until the pawl 26 engages a sheer edge of a ratchet slot 27.
  • the pawl 26 is sloped to allow the trigger rod 25 to ride over the sheer edges of the ratchet slopes having opposite sloping floors.
  • the ratchet slots indicated as having opposite sloping floors in FIG 8 are part of an overwind prevention mechanism.
  • the base 34 of the ejector rod 32 meets the top of the receiver slot 33.
  • the base 34 of the ejector rod 32 and the receiver slot 33 have appropriate shape, such as square section, to prevent rotation of the ejector rod.
  • the drive shaft will be forced to rise until the upper surface 28 of the thumb wheel 7 impacts the static pawl 35.
  • the static pawl 35 will engage the sheer edge of a ratchet slot having an opposite sloping floor thereby preventing further rotation of the thumb wheel.
  • Release of the thumb wheel will allow a slight reverse rotation until the pawl 26 on the trigger rod 25 engages the sheer edge of a ratchet slot as previously described.
  • a trigger 8 is mounted through an aperture 36 in the handle 3 on pivot
  • the upper end of the trigger rod 25 has a stub 38 that engages a corresponding hole 39 in the trigger.
  • the trigger rod 25 is forced to rise, thereby disengaging pawl 26 from ratchet slots 27 and allowing rotation of the drive shaft 19.
  • FIG. 11 A small electric motor 40 is powered by battery 41 when button 42 is depressed. Motor 40 drives a cog 43 that engages a corresponding cog 44 formed in the drive shaft 19. When button 42 is activated the motor 40 winds the thumb wheel 7 thereby energising the torsion spring 23 in the manner described above.
  • a string could be wrapped around the drive shaft in a suitable location. Pulling the string would energise the spring 23. Activation of the trigger 36 would spin the top and rewind the string.
  • the electric motor 40 spins the drive shaft 19 directly.
  • the torsion spring is not required.
  • the trigger 8 and trigger rod 25 are arranged to eject the top when the electric motor has spun to a designed speed.
  • a switch 42 controls the operation of the motor 40.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)

Abstract

Jouet (1) pour jeu de toupie demandant une aptitude psychomotrice. Le jouet est formé d'un plateau (2) présentant une surface (5) de jeu réversible. Un mécanisme de giration et d'éjection fait tourner une toupie à une vitesse donnée et éjecte la toupie sur le plateau de jeu lorsqu'une gâchette (8) est actionnée. Chaque surface de jeu présente un motif en relief sur lequel la toupie est dirigée par manipulation du jouet (1). Le mécanisme de giration et d'éjection est logé de manière pratique dans un manche (3) supportant le plateau. Une molette (7) montée dans le manche (3) sert à enrouler un ressort qui entraîne la giration de la toupie lorsqu'il se détend. Dans un mode de réalisation différent, le ressort est enroulé par un moteur actionné par batterie.
PCT/AU1998/000158 1997-03-14 1998-03-13 Jouets WO1998041297A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU62855/98A AU6285598A (en) 1997-03-14 1998-03-13 Playthings

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPO5632A AUPO563297A0 (en) 1997-03-14 1997-03-14 Playthings
AUPO5632 1997-03-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1998041297A1 true WO1998041297A1 (fr) 1998-09-24

Family

ID=3799935

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/AU1998/000158 WO1998041297A1 (fr) 1997-03-14 1998-03-13 Jouets

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AUPO563297A0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1998041297A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005065795A1 (fr) * 2004-01-02 2005-07-21 Lazaro Dorian Jeu

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1364632A (en) * 1920-01-16 1921-01-04 Eugene B Harrington Game of tiptop
GB169528A (en) * 1920-06-29 1921-09-29 James Mchardy Improvements in and relating to apparatus for playing games with high speed tops andtop spinners
GB987031A (en) * 1963-02-18 1965-03-24 George Almashy Game apparatus
US3318600A (en) * 1964-12-09 1967-05-09 Marvin Glass & Associates Spinning top game
DE2604721A1 (de) * 1976-02-06 1977-08-11 Tait Inc Kreiselspielgeraet

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1364632A (en) * 1920-01-16 1921-01-04 Eugene B Harrington Game of tiptop
GB169528A (en) * 1920-06-29 1921-09-29 James Mchardy Improvements in and relating to apparatus for playing games with high speed tops andtop spinners
GB987031A (en) * 1963-02-18 1965-03-24 George Almashy Game apparatus
US3318600A (en) * 1964-12-09 1967-05-09 Marvin Glass & Associates Spinning top game
DE2604721A1 (de) * 1976-02-06 1977-08-11 Tait Inc Kreiselspielgeraet

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005065795A1 (fr) * 2004-01-02 2005-07-21 Lazaro Dorian Jeu

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AUPO563297A0 (en) 1997-04-10

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