Aerodynamic flying disk having light sticks in the rim

• US 6,726,521 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lloyd E. Peterson
• Original Assignee: Lloyd E. Peterson
• Inventors: Peterson, Lloyd E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDELWAHED, ALI F
• Application Number:
  US10/073,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20030162470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 446/46, 446/47, 446/48
• US Class Current: 446/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/18 Throwing or slinging toys, e.g. flying disc toys discs used in athletics A63B65/10as part of a game A63F9/02; sling weapons F41B3/00; spring toy guns F41B7/08

Abstract

An aerodynamic flying disk, i.e. such as a FRISBEE®, comprises a circular disk body having a circumferential rim. A groove is provided in the rim. A plurality of light sticks are located in various sections of the groove. The light sticks are bent and snapped to activate a chemical light producing reaction and after such activation may be placed into the sections of the groove. Thereafter, during the time the light sticks continue to glow, the flying disk when thrown and flown through the air will have an illuminated circumferential rim, enhancing the user'"'"'s enjoyment in using and/or playing with the flying disk.

Claims

1. An aerodynamic flying disk, which comprises:

(a) a circular disk body having a topside formed by a top wall and a circumferential rim and an underside formed by an interior cavity underlying the top wall and inside the circumferential rim, the disk body capable of being thrown by gripping the circumferential rim of the disk body and by throwing and spinning the disk body to cause the disk body to fly through the air;

(b) a circular groove on the topside of the disk body extending substantially 360°

around the disk body; and

(c) at least one light stick that produces light using a chemical light producing reaction when the light stick is selectively bent and snapped, wherein the light stick is removably retained in the circular groove on the topside of the disk body by a frictional press fit such that the light stick can be installed in the groove after the light producing reaction has been initiated and can be removed from the groove after the light producing reaction is spent, the light stick when installed in the groove being visible from the topside of the disk body without the light stick being obscured in the interior cavity forming the underside of the disk body.

2. The flying disk of claim 1, wherein the groove into which the light stick is removably insertable is located on the circumferential rim of the disk body.

3. The flying disk of claim 2, further including an opening adjacent the grove for allowing a user to push the light stick out of the groove to replace the light stick.

4. An aerodynamic flying disk, which comprises:

(a) a throwable disk body;

(b) a plurality of light sticks, wherein each light stick comprises a flexible plastic tube which produces a light when the tube is bent and snapped to activate chemicals contained inside the tube which chemicals produce light when activated; and

(c) a groove on the disk body for releasably retaining the plurality of light sticks in an end-to-end relationship, wherein the groove is separated into a plurality of sections by ribs, and wherein at least one light stick is provided in each section of the groove.

5. The flying disk of claim 4, wherein the groove is on a circumferential rim portion of the disk body and faces radially outwardly.

15. The flying disk of claim 4, wherein a single light stick is provided in each section of the groove.

16. The flying disk of claim 4, wherein the groove extends 360°

around the disk body.

6. An aerodynamic flying disk, which comprises:

(a) a circular disk body having a size and shape that allows the disk body to be spun and thrown by a user with the disk body flying through the air as it spins, wherein the disk body includes a top wall and a circumferential rim;

(b) a radially outwardly facing groove provided in the circumferential rim extending at least partially around the circumferential rim of the disk body; and

(c) at least one light stick located within the groove which light stick provides a light from a chemical reaction, wherein the groove opens radially outwardly to be open to and accessible from positions radially outside the circumferential rim such that the light stick can be inserted into the groove by aligning the light stick with the groove and by pushing the light stick radially inwardly towards the circumferential rim until the light stick enters and is received within the groove in the circumferential rim, the light stick being insertable into the groove when the chemical reaction has been initiated so that the light provided by the light stick can be seen as the disk body flies through the air and being removable from the groove after the chemical reaction is spent to allow a depleted light stick to be replaced with a replacement light stick.

7. The flying disk of claim 6, wherein the groove extends completely around the circumferential rim of the disk body.

8. The flying disk of claim 7, wherein a plurality of light sticks are carried in the groove.

9. The flying disk of claim 8, wherein the groove is separated into a plurality of sections by ribs, and wherein at least one light stick is provided in each section of the groove.

10. The flying disk of claim 9, wherein each section has a length and the ribs are relatively narrow compared to the length of the sections of the groove.

11. The flying disk of claim 9, wherein only one light stick is provided in each section of the groove.

12. The flying disk of claim 6, wherein the at least one light stick is frictionally retained within the groove.

13. The flying disk of claim 6, further including an opening in the disk body to provide access behind the at least one light stick to permit removal of the at least one light stick when the at least one light stick is depleted and no longer emits light.

14. The flying disk of claim 13, wherein the disk body includes an inner cavity beneath the top wall and inside the circumferential rim, and wherein the opening is placed in the circumferential rim behind a portion of the groove to allow access behind the at least one light stick to allow the at least one light stick to be pushed out of the groove.

17. An aerodynamic flying disk, which comprises:

(a) a throwable disk body;

(b) at least one light stick comprising a flexible plastic tube which produces a light when the tube is bent and snapped to activate chemicals contained inside the tube which chemicals produce light when activated; and

(c) a groove on the disk body for releasably retaining the light stick, further including an opening in the disk body behind the light stick to provide access behind the at least one light stick to permit removal of the at least one light stick when the at least one light stick is depleted and no longer emits light.