Ball with unbalance mechanism

• US 4,925,428 A
• Filed: 04/04/1989
• Issued: 05/15/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harald V. Sonesson
• Original Assignee: Harald V. Sonesson
• Inventors: Sonesson, Harald V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US07/333,035
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 446/437, 446/436, 446/431, 446/396, 446/409, 446/324, 446/325, 446/326, 273/28, 273/58 F, 273/58 G, 273/58 H, 273/65 EC, 273/128 R, 273/128 A
• US Class Current: 446/437
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/04 with an eccentric centre of gravity; with mechanism for changing the centre of gravity solid balls A63B37/10

Abstract

A toy having a rotational symmetric shape - elliptic or spherical in a section through its axis of symmetry - has an element inside which is movable along the axis of symmetry when the toy is rolling on the ground thereby causing the rolling toy to follow a tortuous path.

Claims

1. A toy comprising a rotation symmetrical outer shroud having a substantially elliptic periphery in a plane section through an axis of symmetry, said shroud containing a tube mounted coaxially with said axis of symmetry, said tube receiving an axially slidable member the axial length of which is substantially shorter than the length of said tube, resilient displacing means for exerting an axial force in one direction on said member, loading means for axially moving said member in the direction opposite to the force direction of said displacing means, and means for resisting axial movements of said member, in which said loading means comprises a handle outside said shroud, a line connected to said handle and passed through an opening in said shroud, a pin rotatably mounted in said slidable member perpendicular to the axis of the tube and connected to said line, and means for resiliently actuating said pin for rotation in one direction.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for resisting axial movements of said member.

3. A toy as claimed in claim 1 in which said displacing means is a helical spring.

4. A toy as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for resiliently actuating said pin for rotation is a spiral spring.

5. A toy comprising a rotation symmetrical outer shroud having a substantially elliptic periphery in a plane section through an axis of symmetry, said shroud containing a tube mounted coaxially with said axis of symmetry, said tube receiving an axially slidable member the axial length of which is substantially shorter than the length of said tube, resilient displacing means for exerting an axial force in one direction on said member, loading means for axially moving said member in the direction opposite to the force direction of said displacing means, and means for resisting axial movements of said member, in which said means resisting axial movements of said member is a sliding seal engaging the inner surface of said tube.