PLAYING OBJECT HAVING A BOUNCE WITH LIMITED UNPREDICTABILITY

• US 20120071281A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waboba Ltd. (Waboba AB)
• Original Assignee: Waboba AB
• Inventors: Heland, Jan Von
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/569
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/002 with special configuration, e.g. non-spherical discs for throwing A63B65/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0053 Apparatus generating random stimulus signals for reaction-time training involving a substantial physical effort
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/18 Throwing or slinging toys, e.g. flying disc toys discs used in athletics A63B65/10as part of a game A63F9/02; sling weapons F41B3/00; spring toy guns F41B7/08

Abstract

The present invention relates to a playing object (21) having a main surface (13, 14, 16) enclosing and provided around a center of gravity, said main surface being provided with elements (22) in a pattern around the center of gravity, where each element has an element surface extending away from the main surface. The playing object may be a polyhedron and some of the elements may have a different appearance than the majority of elements.

Claims

1. A playing object having a main surface enclosing and provided around a center of gravity, said main surface being provided with elements in a pattern around the center of gravity, where each element has an element surface extending away from the main surface,

wherein some of the elements differ in appearance from a majority of the elements.

2. A playing object according to claim 1, wherein the element is a protrusion and the element surface is a protrusion surface distanced a distance from the main surface in a direction that is opposite to the direction from the main surface to the center of gravity.

3. A playing object according to claim 1, wherein the element is a cavity and the element surface is a bottom surface of the cavity distanced a distance from the main surface in a direction from the main surface towards the center of gravity.

4. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein the distance from the main surface to the center of gravity is k times larger than the height of at least said majority of the protrusion surfaces above the main surface, where k is in the range of 3-4.5.

5. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein the protrusions cover 15-75% of the main surface.

6. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein the difference in appearance comprises a different height (H2) than the height of the majority of protrusions above the main surface.

7. A playing object according to claim 1, wherein the difference in appearance comprises a difference in shape from the shape of the majority of the elements.

8. A playing object according to claim 1, wherein the elements are arranged along at least three paths around the centre of gravity, where at least three of the paths are provided in planes perpendicular to each other.

9. A playing object according to claim 8, wherein there is one element of different appearance than the majority in each of the paths provided in planes perpendicular to each other.

10. A playing object according to claim 8, wherein an element of different appearance in one path is separated from an element of different appearance in another path by at least one element having the appearance of the majority.

11. A playing object according to claim 8, wherein all elements of one of the paths have a different appearance than the elements of the other paths.

12. A playing object according to claim 8, wherein, in relation to the plane in which one of the paths is provided, all other paths have a gap between elements in positions perpendicular to this plane.

13. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein the protrusions have at least one side being joined to the underlying main surface and forming a protrusion circumference at the interface with the underlying main surface, where the distance to the center of the protrusion varies along the protrusions circumference.

14. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein protrusions are placed on the main surface so that the distance between the center of one protrusion and the center of a first neighboring protrusion is different from the distance between the center of said one protrusion and the center of a second neighboring protrusion.

15. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein a protrusion surface has the same shape as the part of the main surface from which it protrudes.

16. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the protrusions are detachable.

17. A playing object according to claim 16, wherein the detachable protrusions include one type of fastening means configured to engage with a second type of fastening means provided in the main surface.

18. A playing object according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the protrusions are joined with each other for forming a playing object surface with cavities, which cavities are formed by parts of the main surface provided in-between joined protrusions.

19. A playing object comprising a regular polyhedron with a surface made up of at least ten faces enclosing and provided around a center of gravity, wherein the polyhedron surface comprises elements in a regular pattern around the center of gravity, said elements having an element surface extending in a direction away from the polyhedron surface.

20. A playing object according to claim 19, wherein the element is a protrusion and the element surface is a protrusion surface distanced a distance from the main surface in a direction that is opposite to the direction from the main surface to the center of gravity.

21. A playing object according to claim 19, wherein the element is a cavity and the element surface is a bottom surface of the cavity distanced a distance from the main surface in a direction from the main surface towards the center of gravity.