Structure of hula-hoop

• US 20060172657A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kun Yueh Chen
• Original Assignee: Kun Yueh Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Kun Yueh
• Granted Patent: US 7,232,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/236
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 19/00 Hoop exercising apparatus A63B21/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/02 Toy hoops , i.e. rings to be rolled by separate sticks; Sticks for propelling
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/22 Optical, colour, or shadow toys puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10

Abstract

A hula-hoop is disclosed to include a hula-hoop body that is formed of two symmetrical halves that can be collapsed when not in use or locked in shape when in use, a plurality of sliding members respectively coupled to and movable along the periphery of the hula-hoop body, and weights selectively mounted in the sliding members.

Claims

1. A hula-hoop comprising:

a hula-hoop body for swinging around the body of a person, said hula-hoop body having a sliding way extending around the periphery thereof, the periphery of said hula-hoop body having an inner diameter and an outer diameter; and

at least one sliding member coupled to said hula-hoop body and movable along said sliding way.

2. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding way is a sliding groove extending along the outer diameter of said hula-hoop body.

3. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said sliding member comprises at least one coupling portion slidably coupled to said sliding way of said hula-hoop body;

the sliding way of said sliding means of said hula-hoop body is a sliding groove;

said hula-hoop body comprises two stop flanges extending along said sliding groove at two sides and stopping the at least one coupling portion of each said sliding member in said sliding groove.

4. The hula-hoop body as claimed in claim 3, wherein each said sliding member comprises an accommodating chamber, at least one weight mounted in said accommodating chamber, and a cap covering said accommodating chamber.

5. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hula-hoop body comprises a plurality of support members equiangularly spaced around the inner diameter thereof, and a belt fastened to said support members for swinging with said hula-hoop body around the body of a person.

6. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 5, wherein each said support member comprises a socket fixedly provided at the inner diameter of said hula-hoop body, a belt holder, which comprises a hollow holder body adapted to hold said belt around and a shank downwardly extending from a bottom side of said holder body and axially slidably coupled to said socket, and a spring member mounted inside said socket and stopped against the shank of said belt holder.

7. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 5, wherein said belt is inserted through the holder body of each said support member, having a male connector provided at a first end thereof, and a female connector provided at a second end thereof and connectable to said male connector.

8. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hula-hoop body is comprised of a first semicircular half and a second semicircular half coupled together.

9. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first semicircular half and said second semicircular half each have a first end and a second end, the first ends of said first and second semicircular halves being pivotally coupled together, the second ends of said first and second semicircular halves being detachably connected together with a quick-release lock.

10. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 9, wherein said quick-release lock comprises a first lock part and a second lock part respectively provided at the second ends of said first and second semicircular halves, said first lock part comprising a bolt, which has a neck, said second lock part comprising a compression spring, a retaining spring plate supported on said compression spring, said retaining spring plate having a retaining hole adapted to receive said bolt, and a button connected to said retaining spring plate at one side opposite to said compression spring and extending to the outside of the second end of said second semicircular half for pressing by the user to elastically deform said retaining spring plate and to disengage said retaining hole from said bolt.

11. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first lock part further comprises a plughole;

said second lock part further comprises a plug rod insertable into the plughole of said first lock part.

12. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 9, wherein said hula-hoop body comprises a first block pivotally connected to the first end of said first semicircular half, a second block fixedly provided at the first end of said second semicircular half and hinged to said first block, and lock means adapted to lock said second block to said first block.

13. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 12, wherein said lock means comprises a fixed retaining rod, which is fixedly fastened to said first block and has a hooked portion, a compression spring provided inside said second block, a movable retaining rod, which is pivotally mounted inside said second block and has a rear end supported on the compression spring inside said second block and a front end terminating in a hooked portion for hooking up with the hooked portion of said fixed retaining rod, and a button formed integral with the rear end of said movable retaining rod and extending to the outside of said second block opposite to the compression spring inside said second block for pressing by the user to bias said movable retaining rod and to disengage said movable retaining rod from said fixed retaining rod.

14. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first and second semicircular halves each are formed of two symmetric elements abutted against each other.

15. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hula-hoop body is comprised of a plurality of elements connected to one another in a series, each element of said hula-hoop body having a male coupling member at a first end thereof and a female coupling member at a second end thereby, the elements of said hula-hoop body being connected in series by fastening the male coupling member of one of the elements of said hula-hoop body to the female coupling member of another of the element said hula-hoop body.

16. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hula-hoop body comprises a plurality of support members equiangularly spaced around the inner diameter thereof, said support members each having a front bearing portion covered with a soft pad for supporting the hula-hoop around the body of a person.

17. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding way of said hula-hoop body is a rail extending around the outer diameter of said hula-hoop body.

18. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 17, wherein said hula-hoop body comprises a plurality of support members equiangularly spaced around the inner diameter thereof, and a belt fastened to said support members for swinging with said hula-hoop body around the body of a person.

19. The hula-hoop as claimed in claim 17, wherein said hula-hoop body comprises a plurality of support members equiangularly spaced around the inner diameter thereof, each said support member having a front bearing portion covered with a soft pad for supporting said hula-hoop body around the body of a person.