Method and apparatus for body-worn entertainment devices

• US 8,398,449 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William Mark Corporation
• Original Assignee: William Mark Corporation
• Inventors: Forti, William Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICONOVICH, ALEXANDER R
• Application Number:
  US13/303,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 446/24, 446/26, 446/28, 446 30- 32, 446/34, 446/46, 446/48, 446 82- 83, 446/223, 446/228, 446/251, 446/268, 446/315, 446/901, 273/317, 273/329, 273/331, 244/153.R, 244/155.A, 472/57, 472/68, 472/70, 472/80, 472/133
• US Class Current: 446/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 21/02 with cable- or rail-suspended vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 7/02 by pushing or drawing
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 5/02 Arrangements for making stage effects; Auxiliary stage appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A light-weight toy is attached to a player via a near-invisible fixed-length tether, typically using a low-tack adhesive at the ends of the tether. In especially preferred embodiments, the toy has a mechanism that creates an appearance of plausible possibility of flight without actually providing sufficient lift and/or propulsion for flight. Imaginary flight is achieved by manual lifting and moving the toy via the tether. Thus, the tether forms an integral part of the imaginary play for the player and is not used as an implement of a ‘magic trick’ for an audience.

Claims

1. A method of using a light-weight toy, comprising:

providing a near-invisible fixed-length tether having first and second ends to which a low-tack adhesive is coupled, wherein the near-invisible fixed-length tether has a thickness of less than 300 micron, and wherein the first and second ends of the near-invisible fixed-length tether are adhesively coupled to a storage spool via the low-tack adhesive at the first and second ends;

providing a light-weight toy;

coupling the first end of the tether via the low-tack adhesive at the first end to the user or a fastener that is reversibly attachable to the user;

coupling the second end of the tether to the light-weight toy via the low-tack adhesive at the second end; and

suspending the light-weight toy by the tether.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage spool is a portion of a carrier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the carrier is configured to engagingly receive at least a portion of the light-weight toy, and wherein the light-weight toy is affixed to the carrier.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the carrier comprises a second storage spool with a second tether.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy comprises a fixed airfoil, a movable airfoil, a wing, or a propeller.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as an object selected from the group of a UFO, a spinning disk, an airplane, a fairy, a Pegasus, a dinosaur, and a butterfly.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as a puppet.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the puppet is configured as an articulated puppet.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as a fairy having a pair of wings.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the light-weight toy further comprises a control circuit that controls movement of the pair of wings.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the light-weight toy further comprises a control circuit that controls illumination of the pair of wings, optionally as a function of movement of the pair of wings.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the near-invisible tether has a diameter of less than 50 micron.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the near-invisible tether has a length of between 30 cm and 100 cm.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive is selected from the group of wax, and a low-tack polymer.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy has a weight of between 5 and 50 gram.

16. A method of instructing a user to set up a light-weight toy, comprising:

providing a near-invisible fixed-length tether having first and second ends to which a low-tack adhesive is coupled, wherein the near-invisible fixed-length tether has a thickness of less than 300 micron, and wherein the first and second ends of the near-invisible fixed-length tether are adhesively coupled to a storage spool via the low-tack adhesive at the first and second ends;

providing a light-weight toy;

directing the user to perform the steps of;

coupling the first end of the tether via the low-tack adhesive at the first end to the user or a fastener that is reversibly attachable to the user;

coupling the second end of the tether to the light-weight toy via the low-tack adhesive at the second end; and

suspending the light-weight toy by the tether.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as an object selected from the group of a UFO, a spinning disk, an airplane, a fairy, a Pegasus, a dinosaur, and a butterfly.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as a puppet.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising a step of directing the user to couple the tether to a post to thereby allow suspension of the puppet while the tether is in a horizontal position.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising a step of including a second storage spool with a second tether.