WO2014131622A1

WO2014131622A1 - Weighted folding fans

Info

Publication number: WO2014131622A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/052750
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Thomas
Original assignee: Martin Thomas
Priority date: 2013-02-28
Filing date: 2014-02-12
Publication date: 2014-09-04
Also published as: GB201303578D0; GB2511332A

Abstract

A folding fan comprising at least two ribs, wherein each rib comprises a hole at a first end region thereof; a leaf, wherein the leaf at least partially covers and is fixed to the at least two ribs such that it extends across, or at least partially covers, a second, opposite, end region of the at least two ribs; and a pivoting portion at the end of the fan that accommodates the first end regions, wherein the pivoting portion comprises a pivot member that passes through the holes in the ribs, about which the ribs can pivot or rotate for opening and closing the fan; wherein: in a closed condition of the fan, the fan has fan length with two halves, one occupying the first end regions of the at least two ribs and the other occupying the second, opposite, end regions of the at least two ribs; and a balance point of the fan lies along that length in the half of the fan length that is occupied by the first end regions of the ribs.

Description

WEIGHTED FOLDING FANS

The present invention relates to a fan, and more particularly a folding fan which is weighted such that it may be better suited to being juggled with.

The art of juggling has been practiced over many years, including in Egyptian times, whereby various articles have been the subject of juggling activities. The articles used vary from rings, balls, clubs, plates, torches, knives and even, more recently, chainsaws.

Similarly, hand held fans also have a long history, having been around for centuries in various parts of the worlds, including the Ming dynasty in China. Although single items of such hand held fans are sometimes seen accompanied by a performer in certain performances of martial arts, including throwing them, there has not previously been a practice of juggling a plurality of such fans.

A first aspect of the present invention, therefore, is the concept of fan juggling. As a new concept, fan juggling involves throwing at least two fans, one or more at a time, from one hand to the other, in such a way that the thrown fan opens on throwing, and closes on catching. Typically to achieve this the fan will also rotate a significant amount - i.e. through an angle of at least 90°, but more probably through about 180° or about 360°, or more, in mid air, prior to the catch.

Fans may also or alternatively be thrown and juggled in a number of different ways. This can be done to create visual and acoustic variations in the routine. For example, by keeping them closed throughout the full rotation in mid-air, they make less noise than that which occurs when they are opened upon release and closed upon catching as described above (i.e. a quiet rotation rather than a multiple cracking or "machine- gun" sound). Rotational direction can also be varied, e.g. they can be rotated or opened substantially parallel to the anatomical frontal plane (extending vertically through the shoulders and down through the torso), or substantially parallel to the anatomical sagittal or medial planes (vertical planes extending perpendicular to the frontal plane), or at angles thereto, each with different difficulties and different visual effects. Additionally, combinations of these variations might be achieved in the case of a more advanced practitioner. The present invention also provides a particular type of hand held fan - a hand held folding fan. A folding fan typically consists of ribs that form the main skeletal framework of a fan that are pivoted together at one point by a pivot member - typically a rivet in conventional fans, which would run through the ribs such that the ribs may be rotated out relative to one another, pivoting around the rivet. The fan then additionally has a fabric webbing, skin or leaf. This webbing, skin or leaf, hereinafter the leaf, may be made of variety of materials such as paper, fabric, leather, silk, cotton, nylon, plastics or lace, and would be attached to the ribs with glue, thread or other fixing methods. Typical materials used, however, include cotton, silk or artificial fibres such as nylon.

A practitioner attempting to juggle prior art conventional fans would suffer from various problems. One of the problems is that conventional fans are unstable when thrown to rotate in mid-air. As a result, the fans can easily fly off course, or drift out of the desired plane of travel, or fail to fly or rotate properly. This is particularly true when the fans are open during their flight.

In the case of throwing the fan such that it opens upon release, it is found that conventional fans need to be thrown with a significantly large force, such that its leading edge will leave the hand at a high enough speed in order for the fan to be opened fully for its flight through the air, and for it to rotate successfully in the air prior to its catch, and for it to be catchable sufficiently forcefully for the fan to close on the catch. This makes the action of juggling a conventional fan very difficult to master. Indeed, for many conventional fans, the launching of the fans at a high enough speed in order for them to open and close, and rotate fully in mid-air, results in the juggling speed, or hand coordination requirements, becoming much too high to be practical, due to the physical effort involved, and the resulting body movements needed to impart such forces or hand movements onto the juggled fans. Further, the brief recovery times provided for the catch and recycle can resultingly be too short to be achievable within a true juggle (where at least one of the juggled items will be in the air at any given time).

It is also observed that an open fan is usually required to be snatched at the moment of catching to force the fan to properly close. This not only requires a lot of effort from the practitioner, but also the snatching action is likely to cause further instability or difficulties in the continuance or maintenance of the juggling process. Further, the practitioner would also find that ribs of the fans would occasionally break due to these forces, and also during the earlier stages of practicing to juggle fans, due to inevitable drops. The leaf would also tend to fray or rip. A practitioner would therefore generally have to acquire a large number of fans, or be constantly mending them, in order to replace or repair the fans that have broken or worn.

It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a fan design that is more susceptible to being juggled with, and one which is easier to repair, or one which will be more hardwearing.

Example embodiments of the present invention will be discussed below.

According to this aspect of the present invention there is provided a folding fan comprising:

at least two ribs, wherein each rib comprises a hole at a first end region thereof; a leaf, wherein the leaf at least partially covers and is fixed to the at least two ribs such that it extends across, or at least partially covers, a second, opposite, end region of the at least two ribs; and

a pivoting portion at the end of the fan that accommodates the first end regions, wherein the pivoting portion comprises a pivot member that passes through the holes in the ribs, about which the ribs can pivot or rotate for opening and closing the fan; wherein in a closed condition of the fan, the fan has fan length with two halves, one occupying the first end regions of the at least two ribs and the other occupying the second, opposite, end regions of the at least two ribs, and a balance point of the fan lies along that length in the half of the fan length that is occupied by the first end regions of the ribs.

Preferably the balance point lies at a position lying between 1/5^th (0.2) and 9/20^ths (0.45) of the distance from a proximal end of the fan (the end lying in the half of the fan length that is occupied by the first end regions of the ribs) to a distal end of the fan (the other end of the fan). More preferably it lies at a position lying between 0.34 and 0.38 of that distance. Preferably the pivoting portion comprises at least one weighted component. Preferably the at least one weighted component comprises weighted members in addition to the pivot member. Preferably the at least one weighted component comprises at least one weighted spacer.

Preferably at least one weighted component is made of a different material to the ribs. Preferably at least one weighted component is made of a different material to the pivot member.

Preferably the at least one weighted component is separate to the ribs. In an alternative arrangement, the weighted component may be integrated with or into one or more of the ribs at the first end region thereof. For achieving this, the rib may be simply a significantly enlarged area of that end, e.g. enlarged by at least 2x the width of that end compared to the rest of the rib, whereby the extra mass of the rib at that end provides a weighted member of the at least one weighted component. Alternatively, the rib may have a weighted component added or inserted into that end, that weighted component preferably having a higher density than the material of that rib.

Preferably there are at least 4 weighted components. Preferably the total mass of the weighted components exceeds 10g, and more preferably it exceeds 20g.

Preferably the total mass of the weighted components exceeds the mass of the leaf. A preferred weighting for a standard 13 inch (33cm) bamboo ribbed and nylon leafed fan could consists of a 5mm x 50mm bolt, a hex nut, eight 25mm x 1.5mm fender or dock washers, and two 10mm x 1.0mm flat washers. The weight (mass) of the metal weighted components is approximately 50 grams. The bamboo and nylon weighs approximately 1 15 grams. The resulting weighted folding fan weighs around 165 grams. More or less washers can be provided. Preferably the weighted component can weigh about 30% of the total weight of the finished fan. Preferred weights for the weighted components, e.g. when including the pivoting member and spacers, range from 15% to 40% of the total fan weight.

For a typical throwing fan having a rib length of between 28 to 38cm, a suitable range of total weights for the at least one weighted component is between 20 and 70g. Such fans typically will have a total weight for the ribs and leaf arrangement of about 1 15g, whereby the resulting total fan weight will become between 135 and 185g.

The weighted spacer(s) add additional weight to the pivoting portion, and this modifies the balance of the fan so as to give it a more appropriately located balance point (i.e. in a position lying away from its mid-point along its length, and closer to the pivot member than its other, more distal end. This is then such that the fan will adopt a centre of rotation during rotation that allows an improved flight in the air. Further it provides the fan with additional rotational momentum during the flight for any given rotational speed compared to a non weighted or conventional fan. This is beneficial in that it helps to carry the fan through a full circle when juggling, thus overcoming air resistance to a better effect, thus allowing it to fully rotate in mid-air where needed, e.g. through 90° or 180° or 360° (or more).

Further, the weighted spacer(s) also help the fans to close after rotating through the air, such that the practitioner does not have to snatch the fan so forcefully to close it on catching it.

Therefore, the weighted folding fans may be thrown more softly than the conventional ones that are not specifically weighted, while still enabling, or offering greater, stability while juggling, making them more suitable for juggling.

The present invention therefore provides a folding fan which is weighted such that it may be better suited to being juggled with, or otherwise thrown, e.g. from one hand to another. Preferably the leaf is made of a material comprising any one or more of the following: paper, fabric, leather, silk, cotton, nylon, plastics, artificial fibres and lace.

In preferred embodiments, the ribs have a generally flat and elongated shape, wherein each rib has a length in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the pivoting member, a width in the diametrical/radial direction of the axis of the pivoting member, and a thickness along the direction of the axis of the pivoting member.

In preferred embodiments, the axis of the hole on each rib substantially corresponds to the axis of the pivoting member.

Preferably the holes all extend through the whole thickness of the respective rib.

In preferred embodiments, the ribs are stacked on the pivoting member, along the direction of the axis of the pivoting member.

In preferred embodiments, the or each weighted spacer is provided on the pivoting member. Preferably the or each weighted spacer comprises a hole, wherein the axis of the weighted spacer's hole substantially corresponds to the axis of the pivoting member.

Preferably the or each weighted spacer is provided in between the ribs on the pivoting member, e.g. along the axis of the pivoting member. This allows for the variation of the thickness of the fan by providing a spacing between the ribs. The spacing can be regular between each rib or variable.

The spacers preferably provide a larger grip area for the fan, whereby the juggler is then able to get a better grip of the fan. Preferably the spacing between the ribs at their first end regions provides a separation of the ribs corresponding to or similar to that provided by the folded leaf.

Having the spacing between the ribs can help to free the ribs to deploy between open and closed states since they are not frictionally engaged to each other. Preferably, the or each weighted spacer is generally flat. It may be provided with a low friction surface that engages the ribs, e.g. a smooth or coated surface.

Preferably the or each weighted spacer has a substantially disk like shape. Preferably it has a diameter that is larger than the width of the ribs. It can then be grasped. Preferably, however, it is not excessively larger than the width of the ribs, i.e. not exceeding 3 times that width.

Preferably the weighted spacers are washers.

In addition to the weighted spacers, smaller spacers may be provided between the weighted spacer or spacers and at least one of the adjacent ribs. This smaller spacer reduces the contact area between the weighted spacer and the rib, thus reducing friction. Preferably the smaller spacers are round. Preferably they have a diameter smaller than the width of the adjacent rib in contact therewith.

The pivoting member may comprise a removable fixing member at each end of the pivoting member. This allows for the pivoting member to be disassembled such that any broken ribs may be replaced and for any weighted spacers to be added or removed, e.g. to increase or decrease the weight of the fan depending on the preference or skill level of the practitioner.

The removable fixing member may be a nut, and the pivoting member may be a bolt, e.g. a mushroom or cheese headed bolt, or a hex-nut headed bolt.

To prevent inadvertent release of the nut, a lock nut may be preferred. Alternatively an adhesive might be used to lock the thread.

Preferably the ribs are made of bamboo, wood, plastic or a fibre reinforced resin. These are typically relatively light in weight. Metals can also be used, e.g. aluminium or steel sheets, as can combinations of such materials.

These fans can be used for juggling, or for other fan throwing activities, such as martial arts. Their increased ease of repair, and their optimised balance, allows greater ease of use. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of fan juggling involving the throwing of at least two fans, sequentially from one hand to the other, in such a way that each individual fan opens on throwing, rotates through the air, and closes on catching.

A preferred technique involves, before throwing, holding the closed fan approximately midway along its length, with the pivot portion thereof, pointing away from the body. In a preferred technique, a rotating open fan is caught in the respectively non-throwing hand in such a way that it closes into the hand to end up in the above holding position, ready for the next throw.

As a fan opens only in one way - such that it may be right handed or left handed (which side depends upon the side of the ribs to which the leaf is attached), the throwing actions of the left and right hands are completely different. For a normal right hand fan, the left hand releases the end held by the fingers, which results in the fan thrown by the left hand rotating counter-clockwise from the perspective of the thrower. However, the right hand releases the end held by the thumb, which results in the fan thrown by the right hand rotating clockwise from the perspective of the thrower.

The two counter rotations can allow for two fans to be sequentially thrown and juggled in an opening and closing manner in a single plane, or in two crossing planes, without the fans necessarily hitting each other.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a folding fan, wherein reflectorized components or LED lights are provided along one or more of the ribs, to reflect external light or to light up under operation. Fans may be thrown and juggled in a number of ways; by keeping them closed, by opening them and closing them, or by some combination of these in the case of a more advanced practitioner.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a folding fan comprising at least two ribs, wherein each rib comprises a hole formed at an end region of the rib; a leaf, wherein the leaf at least partially covers and is fixed to the ribs; a pivoting portion, wherein the pivoting portion is situated at the end region of the rib where the hole is formed and comprises a pivot member, wherein the pivot member passes through the holes in the ribs; wherein the pivoting portion further comprises of at least one weighted spacer.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a belt-fastened fan holder. As the juggling fans are often rather large, a practitioner may find it very difficult to hold a third fan whilst juggling two fans.

The fan holder may be provided as a flexible pouch with a slot for a belt, with an angle at the exit such that the fan may be removed efficiently when required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above, and other features of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view, looking down an axis of a pivoting member of a first embodiment of a weighted folding fan in a fully open condition; Fig. 2 is a front view of the fan of Figure 1 in a closed condition - the ribs are all radially aligned with respect to the pivoting member;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the weighted folding fan of Figure 2, again in the closed condition;

Fig. 4 is a close up side view of an end region of the weighted folding fan of Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective schematic of a further embodiment of the present invention showing a weighted folding fan in a closed condition, showing a pivoting member passing through holes in the fan's ribs, with weighted spacers placed in between various ribs along a longitudinal axis of the pivoting member;

Fig. 6 shows an example of a pivoting member and the weighted spacers for use therewith, with the ribs removed. The weighted spacers are arranged so that the pivoting member passes through central holes provided in the weighted spacers. A fixing member is fixed onto a free end of the pivoting member to secure the spacers thereon; Fig. 7 is a close up side view of three possible arrangements for the pivoting member and spacers between the ribs;

Fig. 8 is a front view of a further embodiment of folding fan, showing a pivot point and how to find that pivot point;

Fig. 9 illustrates an example of a starting holding position before throwing the weighted folding fan with a right hand;

Fig. 10 illustrates an example of a holding position ready to initiate a throwing action with a right hand; and

Fig. 1 1 illustrates an example of a holding position after catching the fan in a left hand. As can be seen in the left hand the fan unfolds away from the fingers with the leaf facing the hand, whereas in Figures 9 and 10, the fan unfolds or opens away from the thumb, with the leaf of the fan facing away from the hand..

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The general configuration of the fully open weighted folding fan 10 is shown in Fig. 1. As can be seen from the figure, the general features of the weighted folding fan are similar to the typical arrangement of a folding fan.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 1 consists of thirteen ribs 20. Other numbers of ribs are also known, such as 9 to 20 rib fans. The present invention need not be limited to a specific number of ribs. However, there will be at least two ribs. The ribs are joined together by a leaf 30 at the free ends or distal ends of the ribs, whereas at the proximal ends they are gathered together by a pivoting member 60 so as to be pivotable between an open condition (figure 1 ) and a closed condition (figure 2).

Each rib 20 situated at the outermost ends of the pivoting member's axis, is thicker and stronger than the other ribs as they are more likely to be exposed to external shocks. These ribs are commonly referred to as guard ribs.

The ribs in between are typically all of a similar length and shape, albeit of lighter weight than the guard ribs. However, it is possible for the ribs to each have different sizes and shapes, and even for them to be bigger than the guard ribs, or for them all to be the same, i.e. even the guard ribs.

A higher or lower number of ribs may be used than that shown.

Figure 1 is a view of the fan down the axis of the pivoting member 60. Each rib 20 has a hole towards its proximal end - typically with its centre spaced between 10 and 40mm from the proximal end of the rib - through which the pivoting member 60 may be arranged to fix the ribs 20 together. This joint loosely clamps the pieces together in such a way that the ribs 20 may still relatively freely rotate around the pivoting member's axis. For example, an advantageous state is that which allows opening and closing of the fan under its own weight, but without excessive skewing of the stack of ribs relative to the pivoting member, i.e. no more than 10° of skewing, during that opening.

Each rib 20 has an elongated shape in its length (longitudinal) direction, i.e. a direction which is perpendicular to the axis of the pivoting member. Further, each rib is generally flat in that it has a width in the radial/diametrical direction of the axis of the pivoting member that is generally flat across its extent (although it might instead be slightly convexly curved across its width to reduce friction that might otherwise excessively resist opening and closing of the fan). The ribs also have a small thickness (perhaps between 1 and 4mm) along the direction of the axis of the pivoting member. The edges 21 of the ribs 20 are also generally straight although a slight curvature can be provided for altering the weight distribution thereof, or simply for aesthetic reasons. The width however, preferably does not vary by more than 6mm. For example, a waist 22 may be provided near the proximal or handle end 12, e.g. at a distance from the proximal end starting between 4 and 8cm from that end and ending between 6 and 18cm from that end, such that a heel 23 of the fan (towards the proximal end, e.g. in the first 4 to 8cm of the fan's length) is enlarged compared to the waist 22. Additionally or alternatively the distal tips 24 may be tapered in slightly compared to the main body 25 of the ribs 20, e.g. in their final 9 or less cm.

The guard ribs may have more tapering or waisting than the middle ribs, the middle ribs often just having the waist, rather than additionally the tapered tips 24. When the ribs are rotated around relative to one another such that the guard ribs at the outermost ends of the pivot member have the largest angle between them, the weighted folding fan is said to be open. When the ribs are rotated around such that all the ribs are overlapping along their longitudinal axes, the weighted folding fan is said to be closed. They open and close only in one direction due to the way in which the leaf 30 is adhered or joined thereto.

Fig. 2 illustrates the weighted folding fan when it is closed. It can be seen that the leaf 30 folds between adjacent ribs as the fan is closed. The leaf 30 is fixed to the ribs to cover, typically, more than half of each of the ribs in its length direction, extending towards but not as far as to the proximal end (with the pivoting portion) from the distal or free end. The fixation is preferably a layer of glue on the face of the ribs that face the leaf material, such that the leaf material can be a single web of material extending across the majority of one face of the fan when in the open condition. To assemble a fan, the ribs are stacked upon one another along the axis of the pivoting member to form a pivoting portion.

The pivoting portion is one area where the present invention can differ from the prior art conventional folding fans. Whereas in the prior art, the ribs may be tied together with wire, ribbon or string, or held together with a light-weight rivet, e.g. one made from folded or pressed brass, steel or aluminium, which rivet is not removable, the present invention uses a pivoting member which is tailorable, or removable, which can allow the fan to be tailored or fixed as required, e.g. through the addition or removal or replacement of the ribs and weighted components (such as weighted spacers), e.g. for adjustment or repair.

Fig. 3 illustrates a side view of a weighted folding fan when it is closed. In this particular embodiment, the fan is weighted by providing a number of weighted spacers along the pivoting member - in this example, eight of them. Some of the weighted spacers are placed at the outermost ends of the pivoting member - in this example, three at each end, and some are located in between some of the ribs - in this example there are two such spacers, approximately evenly interspersed within the stack of ribs. Referring to Figure 4 - an enlarged view of Figure 3, it can be seen that the two spacers interspersed within the stack of ribs are located such that there are five ribs between the two spacers, and three middle ribs and the respective guard ribs on the outsides. This gives a total of thirteen ribs.

As can also be clearly seen from Figure 4, the axis of the pivoting member 60 does not pass through the ribs 20 all at the same distance from the proximal ends of the various ribs. This is because the ribs used in this example include more than one batch of ribs (it has been repaired), and since each batch had fairly unspecific manufacturing tolerances. This is acceptable since the exact position of the hole is not critical. Instead the overall balance of the fan is more critical. Nevertheless, in this example, there are four ribs 26 that clearly extend further in the proximal direction from the pivoting member 60. These four ribs 26 are from a different batch from the other middle ribs 27, which batch has the hole spaced about 23mm from the end, compared to about 19 mm for the other middle ribs 27; the hole can be located by determining the location of the central axis of the pivoting member 60. In this example the pivoting member is a bolt with a mushroom head - a slotted mushroom head in this example. The other end of the bolt has a fixing member - in this case a nut 70.

An M4 bolt and nut works well for a rib having a width between 12 and 19mm. A smaller or bigger bolt could be used instead, e.g. an M3 or M5 bolt, or imperial equivalents, especially where the material of the rib allows - a smaller rib needs a smaller hole, and thus a smaller pivoting member, whereas a larger rib can accommodate a larger pivoting member without undue weakening of the rib. For the spacers, washers work well. Here there is illustrated a 24mm washer with 5mm hole. The thickness of each washer is approximately 1 .4mm. Other sizes and thickness of washer are also useable. As would be other forms of weighted component, such as lead inserts or brass sheaths. Figure 5 better shows the bolt extending through the holes in the washers and the fixing member and mushroom head. This figure is schematic in that the bolt is illustrated to be longer than in real life.

Referring next to Fig. 6, another useful view of a pivoting member is shown, This example is a 5mm steel bolt, whereby the ribs and the weighted spacers may be fixed in place in the assembled fan in a manner such that they can rotate around the pivoting member. The assembly is secured with a fixing member in the form of a hex nut that has been screwed onto the end of the bolt. A smaller washer 28 is also provided. There can be a plurality of these and they can restrict the engagement area between the ribs and the weighted spacers by spacing the weighted spacers from the ribs. This reduces the resistance to pivoting that might otherwise occur. In this example there are two - one visible in Figure 6. They are located on the outside of the inside two washers 29 for engaging the adjacent ribs lying outside the inside washers 29 once assembled.

As the nut may be unscrewed to remove the ribs or weighted spacers from the pivoting member at any time, the embodiments of the present invention allows for the ribs to be replaced as required, even if only some of the ribs are damaged.

Further, as the weighted spacers may be added or removed, and can be placed between the ribs in an arrangement most suitable for the individual practitioner, it is possible to adapt or tune the fan to a user's balance preference, which may require different weights or arrangements across the pivoting member, and also potentially depending on the style and the speed of juggling intended by the user. A preferred weighting for a standard 13 inch (33cm) bamboo ribbed and nylon leafed fan could consists of a 5mm x 50mm bolt, a hex nut, eight 25mm x 1.5mm fender or dock washers, and two 10mm x 1.0mm flat washers. The weight (mass) of the metal weighted components is approximately 50 grams. The bamboo and nylon weighs approximately 1 15 grams. The resulting weighted folding fan weighs around 165 grams. More or less washers can be provided.

From the above preferred arrangement, it is to be appreciated that the weighted component can weigh about 30% of the total weight of the finished fan. Preferred weights for the weighted components, including the pivoting member and spacers, range from 15% to 40% of the total fan weight. For example, for the 1 15 gram fan, the weighted components may add between 20 and 70g, thus taking the total weight to between 135 and 185g.

As well as achieving higher stability of juggling, the weighted spacers also allow for the ribs to be spaced apart in such a way that the ribs do not interfere with one another so much, or such that the leaf can more easily fold between the ribs when opening and closing, not just at their free ends, but also closer to the pivot portion.

Pre folded fold lines may be ironed, pressed or formed into the leaf to further assist with the folding of the leaf between the ribs during closure of the fan.

The tailorability of the weighted spacers and pivoting member also allow adjustments to the width of the fan to be made such that it will comfortably fit the practitioner's hands when closed, i.e. for the catch and throw.

A number of different variations to the arrangements of the weighted spacers and ribs are illustrated in Fig.7. For example, all the weighted spacers may be located at the ends of the pivoting member, such that the ribs of the fan, at their holding position 31 is narrow (a first width (w1 ). See part (i) of Figure 7. Alternatively, some of the spacers may be located between the ribs - in the second arrangement (part (ii)) there are two weighted spacers and two smaller washers arranged between the groups of ribs, as in Figure 4. Then in the third illustrated arrangement of Figure 7 (part (iii)), four of the weighted spacers are interspersed between the middle ribs to produce three groups of three middle ribs between the central washers, and two ribs (a middle rib and a guard rib) outside the central washers, with two weighted spacers positioned further outwardly - at each end of the pivoting member. This produces a larger or wider width (w2) for the holding portion 31 than that of the first arrangement (in part (i)).

Smaller washers are also again provided in part (iii), and in that case there may be 4 of them.

Both sides of the weighted spacers may be matched with smaller washers, rather than just the illustrated 1 .

The smaller washers will form a part of the weighted component since they too will alter the balance of the fan, especially if there are a higher number of them as in part (iii). The ribs may be made out of metal sheets, or batons of bamboo or plastic, for example glass-reinforced plastic. Ideally they should have similar properties of flexibility and stiffness as bamboo.

Washers may be used as the weighted components as they provide enough weight (mass), and using different numbers of washers allows for changing the weight (mass) as well as the spacing between the ribs and hence the overall thickness of the fan. This can also be a progressive adjustment allowing a user to use trial and error to find a weight (mass) and width that is comfortable for the chosen ribs. However, for a ballpark acceptable balance arrangement, a balance point can be determined to see if the fan has a generally suitable balance for throwing/juggling, and this can be done as shown in Figure 8(ii) using a finger.

The inventor has determined that an optimum balance is typically achieved by having the balance point at a limited range of positions along the fan's length. In broadest terms, this is a position nearer the proximal end 41 than the distal end 42, and this is to be achieved even though the leaf material is predominantly occupying the distal half 43 of the fan, rather than the proximal half 44 (referring to Figure 8(iii) no leaf material is visible in the illustrated parts of the proximal half of the open fan), although some leaf material may be located within the proximal half 44. In more detail, however, as shown in Figure 8(i), a target range of balance positions falls within a smaller range than simply the proximal half, although this is not essential. The range in Figure 8(1 ) is defined with reference to the length L of the fan, where L is the length of the fan that extends away from the longitudinal axis of the pivoting member 60, rather than the actual full length of the closed fan. That length L is commonly around 30cm, although other lengths are also within the scope of the invention. For example, fans can have a wide range of total lengths when closed. Fans for juggling, however, will typically be no smaller than 15cm (rib length) and no bigger than 50cm (rib length) due to the practical limitations of juggling fans of bigger or smaller sizes.

The location of the balance point is preferred to be between 0.34L and 0.38L from that pivot axis and it is spaced from that axis towards the distal end 42. Other lengths are also within the scope of this invention, and a wider range might be from 0.3L to 0.45L. Further, as defined in the claims this can be determined from the full length rather than just from the pivot axis, e.g. 0.2 to 0.45 of the full length, or 0.3 to 0.45, or 0.4 to 0.45 of the full length.

Although the above provided certain preferred ranges, a user may still want to optimise a fan for their own particular requirements or preferences, including optimising it such that it has their preferred weight, and also to allow for their preferred method of juggling (some may prefer to spin it further, e.g. through 720°, whereby the weight may need to increase). Likewise, optimising the grip size for the user's hand is also potentially important for ensuring it can be caught and thrown, and also to ensure perhaps that it still fit conveniently into a preferred size of fan holder - as can be provided for facilitating the holding of the third fan prior to juggling.

Other benefits and advantages for the present invention can be summarised as follows: - The weighted fan, when dropped, will be more likely to land on the pivot end than a lighter fan, and suffer damage such as splitting of the ribs. In addition, when the weighted fan lands it will hit the ground harder, resulting in more damage. The beginner's fan would therefore ideally be of a lighter weight, with only a shorter 5mm bolt (say 40mm), and perhaps two smaller washers. The fan weighting system allows the practitioner to disassemble the fan easily and reconfigure the weighting. As the practitioner becomes more adept at throwing and catching, and drops the fans less and less, he can add weight incrementally, using bolts of various lengths (40mm, 45mm, and 50mm), and washers of various sizes, including a series of 10m washers as spacers, to 'use up' bolt length so that the weighting system is kept symmetrical about the fan ribs.

The juggling or throwing fan needs to be disassembled easily to allow for a) repair to split ribs; b) replacement of broken ribs; c) reconfiguration of weights; d) reconfiguration of 'handedness'; and e) variation of thickness. This can easily be achieved with the present invention.

Given the difficulty of learning to juggle fans, the beginning practitioner will tend to drop the fans often. The ribs tend to split from the pivot end, and often need to be repaired or replaced. This is done by disassembling the fan, opening up the split, and applying contact adhesive. Broken ribs can be stripped out and replaced. This makes the possibility of disassembly critical.

The more advanced fan-juggling practitioner, seeking a new challenge, may want to reconfigure a fan or two to open as a left-handed fan. This can be done by simply disassembling the fan and re-assembling it from the other side.

Given the difficulty of making the fan open on throwing, compounded by the fact that the two hands must each carry out such different actions, the thickness of the closed fan is crucial, and the same thickness of fan will not suit the hand sizes or preferences of all practitioners. By placing some of the washers between fan ribs, as shown in Fig.7, the thickness of the closed fan is increased, in such a way that it will fill a larger hand, and be easier to throw correctly. Ease of disassembly of the weighting system thus allows the practitioner to experiment with fan thickness to find a fan thickness that suits her.

Fans can be thrown and juggled closed, in the manner of clubs, rotating through the air. This can also be combined with fans opening and closing. The main purpose of being able to juggle fans closed would be, for the advanced practitioner, to be able to dispense with the fan holder required to launch the third fan (described below), by beginning with a closed fan juggle, which can be achieved without the holder, and then opening the fans one by one from the closed fan juggle.

The standard fan, when juggled closed, however, has a tendency to open under rotation. The additional weight helps the juggler to keep the fans closed during a closed fan juggle. Nut tension can also be adjusted to fine tune the ease with which the fan will tend to open and close.

The present application also discloses a belt fastened juggling fan holder. Given the dexterity required to launch a closed fan in such a way that it opens in the air, it would be extremely difficult to do this whilst holding another fan in the same hand, particularly for a beginner. This application therefore also discloses a means by which the launching or holding of the third fan is made easier. This is the belt-fastened juggling- fan holder. It keeps the third fan close at hand, ready for launching. It comprises a container with a wide open top and a smaller bottom to prevent the fan from falling through the bottom. The bottom may be open or closed. The container can be made of leather or plastic and would be designed for use on either the left or right side of the user, with a belt slot for locating it at the user's waist. It has an angled arrangement on the hip or waist of the user for providing the correct angle of fan protrusion for ready grasping - perhaps about 45° from vertical,, thus enabling ease of grasping and withdrawal of the fan from the holder. The holder could be height-adjustable, to suit users of differing heights and builds. The fan will extend out of the holder such that its grasping portion - the middle third - is accessible. The foregoing is illustrative of example embodiments and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the example embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A folding fan comprising:

a pivoting portion at the end of the fan that accommodates the first end regions, wherein the pivoting portion comprises a pivot member that passes through the holes in the ribs, about which the ribs can pivot or rotate for opening and closing the fan; wherein:

in a closed condition of the fan, the fan has fan length with two halves, one occupying the first end regions of the at least two ribs and the other occupying the second, opposite, end regions of the at least two ribs; and

a balance point of the fan lies along that length in the half of the fan length that is occupied by the first end regions of the ribs.

2. The fan of claim 1 , wherein the balance point lies at a position lying between 1/5^th (0.2) and 9/20^ths (0.45) of the distance from a proximal end of the fan to a distal end of the fan.

3. The fan of claim 1 , wherein the balance point lies at a position lying between 0.34 and 0.38 of the distance from a proximal end of the fan to a distal end of the fan.

4. The fan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivoting portion comprises at least one weighted component.

5. The fan of claim 4, wherein the at least one weighted component comprises weighted members in addition to the pivot member.

6. The fan of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the at least one weighted component comprises at least one weighted spacer.

7. The fan of any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein at least one weighted component is made of a different material to the ribs.

8. The fan of any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein at least one weighted component is made of a different material to the pivot member.

9. The fan of any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the total mass of the weighted components exceeds 10g, and more preferably it exceeds 20g, and most preferably is between 15 and 40% of the total weight of the fan.

10. The fan of any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the at least one weighted component comprises at least one weighted spacer and each weighted spacer is provided on the pivoting member.

1 1 . The fan of claim 6 or claim 10, wherein the at least one weighted spacer is provided in between two middle ribs on the pivoting member.

12. The fan of claim 1 1 , wherein the weighted spacer provides a spacing between the two middle ribs at their first end regions, that spacing providing a separation of the middle ribs corresponding to or similar to that provided by the folded leaf between those middle ribs when the fan is in a closed condition.

13. The fan of any one of claims 10 to 12 or 6, wherein the or each weighted spacer is generally flat.

14. The fan of any one of claims 10 to 13 or 6, wherein the or each weighted spacer has a substantially disk like shape.

15. The fan of claim 14, wherein the or each weighted spacer has a diameter that is larger than the width of the ribs at the axis of the pivoting member.

16. The fan of any one of claims 10 to 15 or 6, wherein the or each weighted spacer is a washer.

17. The fan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one weighted component comprises at least one small spacer and at least one larger spacer, the small spacer being positioned between the larger spacer and at least one of the ribs.

18. The fan of claim 17, wherein the small spacer is round.

19. The fan of claim 18, wherein the small spacer has an outside diameter smaller than the width of the adjacent rib in contact therewith.

20. The fan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the leaf is made of a material comprising any one or more of the following: paper, fabric, leather, silk, cotton, nylon, plastics, artificial fibres and lace.

21 . The fan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ribs have a generally flat and elongated shape, wherein each rib has a length in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the pivoting member, a width in the diametrical/radial direction of the axis of the pivoting member, and a thickness along the direction of the axis of the pivoting member.

22. The fan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivoting member comprises a removable fixing member at an end of the pivoting member.

23. The fan of claim 22, wherein the removable fixing member is a nut and the pivoting member is a bolt.

24. The fan of claim 23, wherein to prevent inadvertent release of the nut, a lock nut or adhesive can be provided.

25. The fan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ribs are made of a material comprising any one or more of the following: bamboo, wood, plastic, a fibre reinforced resin and metal.

26. The fan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein reflectorized components or LED lights are provided along one or more of the ribs, to reflect external light or to light up under operation.

27. A folding fan substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.