Tethered ball toy

• US 9,707,472 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Don Glass
• Original Assignee: Don Glass
• Inventors: Glass, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US13/473,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 446220, 446228, 446247, 446252, 473570, 473571, 473576
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/4087 Tethered balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2451 using illumination, e.g. with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/40 Balls or other moving playing bodies, e.g. pinballs or discs used instead of balls

Abstract

A tethered ball toy is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the tethered ball toy includes a handle, first and second tethers, first and second balls, a tether cavity configured to receive and secure the tethers, and first and second fasteners to secure the tethers to the balls. In at least one embodiment, each ball is tethered at equal distance to the handle by a tether cord and configured to be set in motion and subsequently to collide with one another, thereby remaining in motion through a basic level of acquired skill in use of the tethered ball toy. In at least one embodiment, a ball is filled with one or more inert gases. In at least one embodiment, the tethered ball toy includes lights within each ball that illuminate upon impact.

Claims

1. A tethered ball toy comprising:

a handle;

at least one tether coupled to the handle;

a cavity disposed within the handle and configured to receive a proximal end of the at least one tether, and configured to receive and store within the handle any excess length of the at least one tether;

a hollow end disposed at the proximal end of the handle, such that the at least one tether is able to be pulled through the hollow end of the handle to adjust a length of the at least one tether;

a rotatable swivel cylinder disposed within the cavity of the handle and opening at a distal end of the handle, configured to receive a proximal end of the at least one tether, and configured to rotate within the cavity of the handle and thereby allow rotation and spin of the at least one tether within the handle as the rotatable swivel cylinder spins within the handle; and

a pair of tethered balls coupled to the at least one tether and suspended from a distal end the handle, each ball configured as hollow and inflatable with a gas, each ball tethered at equal distance along the at least one tether to the handle, and each ball configured to be set in motion by a continuous movement of the handle and subsequently to collide with one another, thereby remaining in motion through a basic level of acquired skill in use of the tethered ball toy.

2. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the at least one tether further comprises a pair of tethers, a first tether to tether a first ball to the handle, and a second tether to tether a second ball to the handle.

3. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the handle further comprises a hand grip.

4. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, further comprising:

a first fastener and a second fastener, each fastener disposed upon and configured to securely hold one of the pair of tethered balls and couple to an end of the at least one tether.

5. The tethered ball toy of claim 4, further comprising:

a first ring and a second ring, each ring coupled to one of the first fastener and the second fastener.

6. The tethered ball toy of claim 5, further comprising:

a first ring channel and a second channel, the first ring channel disposed within the first fastener and configured to receive the first ring, and the second ring channel disposed within the second fastener and configured to receive the second ring.

7. The tethered ball toy of claim 4, further comprising:

a first swivel and a second swivel, the first swivel coupled to the first ring at a distal end of the first swivel and coupled to the at least one tether at a proximal end of the first swivel, the second swivel coupled to the second ring at a distal end of the second swivel and coupled to the at least one tether at a proximal end of the second swivel.

8. The tethered ball toy of claim 7, further comprising:

a first clasp and a second clasp, the first clasp coupled to a first end of the at least one tether and configured to securely hold the first end looped through the first swivel, the second clasp coupled to a second end of the at least one tether and configured to securely hold the second end looped through the second swivel.

9. The tethered ball toy of claim 4, further comprising:

a first light and a second light, the first light disposed within a first ball of the pair of tethered balls, the second light disposed within a second ball of the pair of tethered balls, the first and second lights configured to illuminate upon impact when, while the tethered ball toy is in use, the first ball and the second ball collide, such that upon collision the impact causes the lights to illuminate.

10. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the at least one tether comprises a synthetic cord.

11. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the handle is defined as generally a long cylindrical shape having a grip.

12. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the pair of tethered balls comprises a first ball and a second ball, each ball comprised of plastic.

13. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the pair of tethered balls comprises a first ball and a second ball, each ball comprised of rubber.

14. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the pair of tethered balls comprises a first ball and a second ball, each ball hollow and filled with compressed air.

15. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the pair of tethered balls comprises a first ball and a second ball, each ball hollow and filled with helium.

16. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the pair of tethered balls comprises a first ball and a second ball, each ball hollow and comprising a bladder, wherein the bladder is filled with a first inter gas, and wherein an area surrounding the bladder and within the ball is filled with a second inert gas.

17. The tethered ball toy of claim 1, wherein the tethered ball toy is configured as a noise making device as the pair of tethered balls collide at various intervals in a circular pattern formed by the movement of the handle and balls.