Flying saucer toy

• US 4,065,873 A
• Filed: 08/30/1976
• Issued: 01/03/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Alexander Jones
• Original Assignee: Robert Alexander Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Robert Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitrelli, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US05/718,998
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 46/75, 46/74 R, 46/74 D, 46/82, 273/106 B, 244/12.4, 244/17.11
• US Class Current: 446/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/34 Ultra-small engines, e.g. for driving models

Abstract

The hollow, molded plastic annular body of a flying saucer toy includes integrally molded circumferentially spaced tetrahedrons projecting outwardly from the lower wall radially external of the body central opening and pitched in opposition to the propeller to stabilize the saucer during flight and promote a rapid rotation of the annular body in a direction opposite to that of the propeller.

Claims

1. A toy flying saucer comprising:

an annular body, said annular body being generally frustoconical in cross section including upper and lower radial walls converging in a radially outward direction and joined at their radially inner ends by a sidewall which extends generally vertically therebetween and which defines an axial opening therein,

motor support means spanning said opening and fixed to said body at circumferentially spaced positions,

a motor mounted on said support means and having a drive shaft disposed along the vertical axis of the body,

propeller means fixed to said shaft for rotation at right angles to the shaft axis to create air flow downwardly through said opening to lift the body vertically upward, and

a plurality of circumferentially spaced tetrahedron shaped fins extending outwardly from the lower wall of said body, radially outside of said body opening and pitched opposite to said propeller means.

2. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tetrahedron shaped fins are angulated slightly towards the center of said annular body in the direction of body rotation.

3. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said tetrahedron shaped fins comprise arcuate inner and outer sidewalls which are concave towards the body axis and are joined by a flat end wall.

4. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said tetrahedron shaped fins comprise arcuate inner and outer sidewalls which are concave towards the body axis and are joined by a flat end wall.

5. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said end wall is inclined outwardly from said body bottom wall in the direction of body spin.

6. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said end wall is inclined outwardly from said body bottom wall in the direction of body spin.

7. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body comprises a hollow molded plastic shell with integrally molded tetrahedrons at circumferentially spaced positions along the bottom wall thereof.

8. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said body comprises a hollow molded plastic shell with integrally molded tetrahedrons at circumferentially spaced positions along the bottom wall thereof.

9. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 6, wherein said body comprises a hollow molded plastic shell with integrally molded tetrahedrons at circumferentially spaced positions along the bottom wall thereof.

10. The toy flying saucer as claimed in claim 9, wherein said tetrahedron shaped fins are four in number at equally circumferentially spaced positions.