Ring wing toy

• US 6,454,623 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flatau & Vanek, LLC
• Original Assignee: Abraham Flatau
• Inventors: Flatau, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US09/691,785
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 446/34, 446/61, 473/569, 473/578
• US Class Current: 446/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/185 Aerial toy rotating automatically when descending under gravity

Abstract

A throwable or otherwise launchable aerial toy, which provides two relatively closely spaced colinearly aligned ring wings, with the forward ring wing being larger than the rear ring wing connected through a central slender member. The spokes connecting the rear ring wing to the central slender member can be configured in a fin shape to provide additional aerodynamic stability. The central slender member can be configured with a U-joint connection assembly to eliminate flight wobble due to manufacturing variations. The central slender member can also contain a rotating joint to permit the forward and rear wings or aerodynamic members to rotate independent of one another, separately or in combination with the U-joint connection in the same central slender member connection between the forward aerodynamic member assembly and the tail aerodynamic member assembly.

Claims

1. An aerial toy comprising:

two colinear ring wings connected to a central slender body through thin radial spokes, a forward ring wing of said two colinear ring wings being larger than a tail ring wing of said two colinear ring wings.

2. The aerial toy as in claim 1,

wherein said tail ring wing connection with said central slender body is through a series of finned surface connection members.

3. The aerial toy as in claim 1,

wherein said thin radial spokes connecting said tail ring wing to said central slender body are configured to be axially oriented aerodynamically shaped fins which extend radially outward from the central axis of the central slender body to said tail ring wing to stabilize non-rotating flight of said tail ring wing.

4. The aerial toy as in claim 3,

wherein an axially rotating joint is positioned in said central slender body at a location between said forward ring wing and said tail ring wing.

5. The aerial toy as in claim 1,

wherein a ratio of a diameter of said tail ring wing to a diameter of said forward ring wing is 0.8 or less.

6. The aerial toy as in claim 5,

wherein a ratio of a diameter of said tail ring wing to a diameter of said forward ring wing is 0.75 or less.

7. The aerial toy as in claim 6,

wherein a ratio of a diameter of said tail ring wing to a diameter of said forward ring wing is 0.6 or less.

8. The aerial toy as in claim 5,

wherein a ratio of a diameter of said tail ring wing to a diameter of said forward ring wing is 0.5 or less.

9. The aerial toy as in claim 1, wherein a distance between a back end of said forward ring wing and a front edge of said tail ring wing is no greater than approximately 3 times the diameter of the forward ring wing.

10. The aerial toy as in claim 1, wherein a distance between a back end of said forward ring wing and a front edge of said tail ring wing is no greater than approximately 2 times the diameter of the forward ring wing.

11. The aerial toy as in claim 1, wherein a distance between a back end of said forward ring wing and a front edge of said tail ring wing is no greater than approximately 1.5 times the diameter of the forward ring wing.

12. The aerial toy as in claim 1,

wherein central slender body includes a U-joint connection connecting a forward ring wing portion of said body to a tail ring wing portion of said body.

13. The aerial toy as in claim 12,

wherein an axially rotating joint is positioned at one location in said central slender body, either at a first location in said forward ring portion of said body or a second location in said tail ring wing portion of said body.

14. The aerial toy as in claim 1, wherein said forward ring wing is configured to be graspable.

16. The aerial toy as in claim 14,

wherein said rear aerodynamic member is a series of fins connected to a rear portion of said central slender body member.

15. An aerial toy, comprising:

a ring wine connecting to a central slender body through thin radial spokes, said central slender body member being disposed at a central axis of said ring wing and having a central axis colinear with said central axis of said ring wing, wherein said central slender body member connects through a U-joint connection to a rear aerodynamic member.

17. The aerial toy as in claim 15,

wherein said rear aerodynamic member is a rear ring wing connected to a rear portion of said central slender body member.

18. The aerial toy as in claim 15,

wherein the maximum range of angular deviation between member connected to said U-joint connection is set by the dimensions of a skin around said U-joint that prevents relative angular deviation beyond a set angle.

19. The aerial toy as in claim 15,

wherein said ring wing is configured to be graspable.