Throwing toy with non-spinning tail
First Claim
1. A throwing toy comprising:
- a ball configured to spin during flight to increase stability and accuracy;
a tail portion configured to be substantially non-spinning during flight to reduce turbulence while providing increased stability during flight, wherein the ball and tail portion are made at least partially from a foam material; and
a coupling rotatably connecting the ball to the tail portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A throwing toy is provided which is adapted to be thrown by a user for a flight through the air along a flight path. The toy includes a football-shaped head portion, generally centered about a longitudinal axis, an elongate tail portion extending axially rearward the head portion along the longitudinal axis, and a coupling, which interconnects the head and tail portions and allows the portions to be movable relative to each other, particularly to be rotatably movable about the longitudinal axis. Because the head portion and tail portion can rotate relative to each other, the user can hold the head portion in the hand and throw the toy through the air, imparting a spin to head portion causing it to rotate about its longitudinal axis throughout the flight. At the same time, the tail portion remains substantially fixed throughout the flight with respect to the longitudinal axis because the spin imparted to the head portion is substantially isolated from the tail portion by the rotatable coupling. The coupling includes a shaft and a bearing tube which receives the shaft and substantially locks the shaft in place against movement along the longitudinal axis while allowing rotation about the longitudinal axis. The head portion is fixed about the bearing tube and the tail portion is fixed about the shaft. Head portion is formed of polyurethane foam directly around the bearing tube by holding the bearing tube in a mold and injecting and curing the foam around the bearing tube. The in-flight football realizes the benefits of spiraling, namely, accuracy and stability. Simultaneously, the non-spinning fins provide stabilizing and gliding effects, further augmenting the flight-enhancement provided by spiraling. The fins do so without the resistance or turbulence inherent in spinning fins.
84 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A throwing toy comprising:
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a ball configured to spin during flight to increase stability and accuracy; a tail portion configured to be substantially non-spinning during flight to reduce turbulence while providing increased stability during flight, wherein the ball and tail portion are made at least partially from a foam material; and a coupling rotatably connecting the ball to the tail portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 21)
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14. A throwing toy having a longitudinal axis, the toy comprising:
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an elongate ball having at least one tapered end and one other end, both ends being located on the longitudinal axis, the ball configured to spin during flight; an elongate tail portion extending from one end of the ball along the longitudinal axis and configured to be substantially non-spinning during flight, wherein the ball and tail portion are made at least partially from a foam material; a plurality of fins non-rotatably attached to the tail portion; and a coupling for rotatably connecting the ball to the tail portion such that the ball and the tail portion can rotate about the longitudinal axis relative to each other, and wherein the ball and tail portion are substantially prevented from moving along the longitudinal axis relative to each other.
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- 15. A throwing toy adapted to be thrown for a flight through the air along a flight path, the toy comprising a ball and a tail portion, the ball and tail portion made at least partially from a foam material, the ball and tail portion movably coupled together, wherein the tail portion has a shape and the tail portion is sufficiently rigid to maintain substantially the shape throughout the flight of the toy and the ball and tail portion remain rotatable relative to each other throughout the flight but are substantially prevented from moving relative to each other along the flight path.
- 17. A method for manufacturing a throwing toy, the method comprising forming a ball, forming an elongate tail portion, and connecting the ball to the tail portion, wherein the ball and tail portion are formed at least partially from a foam material, and wherein the ball and tail portion are connected such that the ball and the tail portion can rotate relative to each other but are substantially prevented from moving translationally relative to each other.
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20. A method for manufacturing a throwing toy, the method comprising forming a ball, forming an elongate tail portion, forming a shaft, inserting the tail portion over the shaft, forming a receptor, forming the ball around the receptor, and inserting the shaft into the receptor so that the shaft is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and substantially locked in place against movement along its longitudinal axis.
Specification