TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to toys, and, more particularly, to toys that, in combination with one or more balloons, are designed to fly through the air with aerodynamic stability such that the toy can be launched and directed towardsa target or launched for random flight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gas-filled spheres and bladders have been used in the past to improve the aerodynamic performance of flying objects. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 303,885 issued to E. & H. Ridge on Aug. 19, 1884, discloses a flying target consistingsubstantially of a flat ring having a central opening in which an inflatable balloon or "bulb" is held. The bulb is manually inflated to give body to the target. Two semicircular wires or bands are pivotally mounted to the ring and are swung outward toa plane that is at right angle to the surface of the ring to closely fit against the inflated bulb to hold it in position and prevent over-inflation. The bulb is inflated through a tube mounted to the ring that is pinched, preferably by the user'steeth, to seal the bulb. The drawback to Ridge et al. is that the bulb is retained within the ring by both the inflation tube and the pair of semicircular wires, which adds to the complexity and weight of the target. While the target may be suitablefor outdoor use on a shooting range, its weight and complexity make it unsuitable for indoor use especially by young children.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,911, issued to Opresik et al. on Apr. 21, 1981, discloses a "Martian Flyer" comprising a circular wing having a solid generally spherical hollow body in the center. The body is formed of a solid material, such as clearplastic, and is either integrally formed with the wing or is removably attached to the wing by threads, springs, or other fastening means. Because the flying game device of Opresik et al. is specifically designed for out-of-doors use, it must beconstructed of dense materials that are durable to withstand impacts and be less affected by wind. As such, the Opresik et al. "Martian Flyer" is also unsuitable for indoor use. In addition, Opresik et al. contains no teaching or suggestion of using aninflatable balloon, nor is there any teaching or suggestion in Opresik et al. of how to removably mount such a balloon on a disk.

Another disadvantage of prior art devices is their inability to accommodate spheres or balloons filled with a gas that is lighter than air, such as helium. Because of the porous nature of the material of these balloons, and in particular latexballoons, helium passes readily through the material. Thus, helium-filled latex balloons tend to leak and reduce in size over a period of several hours. As a result, the balloons cannot be retained within the device and will easily fall out or beknocked out. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a flying toy that can accommodate an inflatable balloon, and, in addition, there is a need in the art for a flying toy that can accommodate a helium or other lighter-than-air gas-filled balloon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a flying balloon toy for use with inflatable balloons of the type having a constricted neck portion terminating at one end in an inflation aperture and at the other end in an imperforate expandable side wall. The toy comprises a balloon, an aerodynamic body that rotates about a rotational axis when airborne, and holding means for maintaining the balloon in engagement with the aerodynamic body when the balloon is inflated. More particularly, the aerodynamicbody has a substantially planar shape and the holding means preferably comprises an opening formed in the body that is sized to frictionally engage the balloon to hold the balloon to the body.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the opening formed in the body is axially aligned with the rotational axis of the body such that the balloon will be axially aligned with the rotational axis of the body when the balloonis held in the opening.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the balloon is held in the opening to extend outward from both sides of the planar body.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a contracting means is provided to hold the balloon in engagement with the body as the balloon contracts, the contracting means comprising the aerodynamic body being formed into afirst member and a second member, with the first and second members being pivotally attached to each other and biased to move together to contract the opening in response to contraction of the inflatable balloon.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the flying balloon toy comprises an inflatable balloon of the type having a constricted neck portion that terminates at one end in an inflation aperture and at the other endin an imperforate expandable side wall; an aerodynamic body having a V-shaped planar configuration formed of two outwardly projecting wings joined together at a vertex, the aerodynamic body rotating about a rotational axis located at the vertex of theV-shaped planar body when the toy is airborne; and means for holding the balloon in engagement with the aerodynamic body when the balloon is inflated to provide aerodynamic stability to the toy when airborne.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the holding means preferably comprises an opening formed in the aerodynamic body that is sized and shaped to frictionally engage the balloon and is axially aligned with the rotationalaxis of the body such that the balloon is held in the opening to be axially aligned with the rotational axis of the body and to extend outward from both sides of the body.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the flying balloon toy comprises an inflatable balloon of the type having a constricted neck portion terminating at one end in an inflation aperture and at the other end in animperforate expandable side wall; and aerodynamic body having a substantially planar shape with a plurality of wings projecting outward from a central hub, the aerodynamic body having a rotational axis located at the central hub; and holding means forholding the balloon in engagement with the aerodynamic body when the balloon is inflated to provide aerodynamic stability to the toy when airborne.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the holding means comprises an opening formed in the hub that is axially aligned with the rotational axis of the body such that the balloon is held in the opening to extend outward fromboth sides of the planar body in axial alignment with the rotational axis of the planar body.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the flying balloon toy comprises an inflatable balloon; an aerodynamic disk-shaped body having a substantially concave lower surface, said body having a rotational axis locatedat the center point of the disk-shaped body; and means for holding the balloon in engagement with the aerodynamic body when the balloon is inflated.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the holding means preferably comprises an opening formed in the disk-shaped body that is sized and shaped to frictionally engage the balloon, the opening preferably being axiallyaligned with the rotational axis of the disk-shaped body such that the balloon is held in the opening to extend outward from both sides of the planar body and in axial alignment with the rotational axis of the body.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing description, the present invention provides a flying balloon toy that readily accommodates inflatable balloons that are commercially available. More particularly, the present invention permits aninflatable balloon to be easily and quickly inserted and held within a lightweight flying toy to provide aerodynamic stability to the toy when airborne. In addition, the present invention increases flight time of the toy by increasing surface area anddrag without increasing weight and complexity. As such, the flying balloon toy formed in accordance with the present invention is ideally suited for indoor use, especially by young children. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a balloonholding structure that contracts in response to contraction of the balloon. This is particularly useful with helium and other similar gas-filled balloons that tend to leak at a fairly rapid rate, thus causing contraction in the size of the balloon. Theholding means of the present invention responds to contraction of the balloon to maintain engagement of the balloon with the aerodynamic body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the following drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a disk-shaped flying balloon toy formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taking along lines 3--3 of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the flying balloon toy formed in accordance with the present invention illustrating the path of flight when in use;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 7--7 of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of yet another alternative embodiment of the flying balloon toy formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional side view taken along lines 10--10 of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a disk-shaped flying balloon toy formed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the flying balloon toy of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is directed to a flying toy that incorporates one or more balloons in combination with an aerodynamic structure to fly through the air with aerodynamic stability. FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a flyingballoon toy constructed in accordance with the present invention. In particular, the flying balloon toy 10 is formed of an aerodynamic body 12 and an inflatable balloon 14. As will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, the balloon 14 iscompletely conventional in terms of shape, size, material and color, and, since it is readily commercially available, it will not be described in detail herein. Briefly, the balloon 14 has a general spherical shape formed by the expandable side walls16. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the balloon 14 has a constricted neck portion 18 that terminates at one end in an inflation aperture 20 and at the other end in an imperforate, inflatable side wall 16. While the size of the balloon 14 is notcritical, the degree and manner of inflation thereof has been controlled in accordance with the invention to produce a size and shape that, while it may be adjusted to suit the needs of a particular flying toy, is selected to fit snugly within theaerodynamic body 12, as will be described in more detail below. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the neck portion 18 is knotted to seal the balloon 14 in an inflated configuration.

In order to generate lift, the aerodynamic body 12 is formed to have camber. More specifically, the aerodynamic body 12 has a disk-shaped portion 22 and an enlarged collar portion 24 that is integrally formed in the center of the disk portion 22to define an opening 26 having a vertical axis 36. The disk-shaped portion 22 has a substantially convex top surface 28 that curves downward to meet a substantially concave bottom surface 30 to form an annular lip 32.

The balloon 12 must be held in snug engagement with the body 12 to prevent unintentional removal during flight. To this end, the collar portion 24 has generally concave-shaped sides 34 with a relatively large radius formed around the entireinside diameter of the opening 26. Because the collar portion 24 is formed to have a greater thickness than the disk-shaped portion 22, as illustrated in FIG. 3, there will be greater surface contact area between the balloon 14 and the body 12. Inorder to maintain a minimum weight, a lightweight material, such as polyurethane foam or styrofoam, is used to construct the aerodynamic body 12. To ensure aerodynamic stability, it is important that the opening 26 be axially aligned with the verticalaxis 36 of the aerodynamic body 12. Thus, when the balloon 12 is mounted in the opening 26, it will be aligned with the vertical axis of the body 12. As such, the toy 10 will have aerodynamic stability as it spins and a longer flight time.

The flying balloon toy 10 is prepared for use by first inflating the balloon 14 and tying or otherwise securing the neck portion 18. The balloon 14 is preferably inflated to a size that will snugly fit within the opening 26 without creating anunnatural bulge of the balloon material over the collar portion 24. The balloon 14 is then inserted into the opening 26 until it is snugly seated in the concave sides 34. When so mounted, the balloon 12 will project both above and below the plane ofthe body 12 without interference. With the balloon 14 so mounted in the body 12, the toy 10 is then hand launched in a conventional manner. More particularly, the user grips the disk portion 22 with the fingers under the annular lip 32 and then flingsthe toy 10 into the air with a snap of the wrist to impart a spin. FIG. 4, which illustrates an alternative flying balloon toy 38, shows the technique used to launch the invention.

The flying balloon toy 38 illustrated in FIG. 4 is shown and described more fully in connection with FIGS. 5-7. As shown therein, the flying balloon toy 38 is formed in accordance with the present invention to include an aerodynamic body 40 andan inflatable balloon 42. The balloon 42 is of the conventional type described in conjunction with the flying balloon 10 of FIGS. 1-3, and it includes an inflatable side wall 48 with a constricted neck portion 50.

The aerodynamic body 40 is formed with a central hub 46 having three blades 44 projecting radially outward therefrom and spaced equidistantly about the circumference of the hub 46. More particularly, the blades 44 lie in the same plane and arespaced approximately 120 degrees apart. The blades 44 on the toy 38 are designed to generate lift when the toy rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the top, indicated by arrow 56 in FIG. 6. To accomplish this, each of the blades 44has a cross-sectional shape that is arched along the top surface to create camber, i.e., a leading edge 52 having a thickness that tapers downward to a thinner trailing edge 54.

A central opening 58 is formed in the hub 46 with an axial bore that is aligned with a rotational axis 60 of the aerodynamic body 40. The opening 58 has an internal wall 62 that frictionally engages the side wall 48 of the balloon 42. As such,the balloon 42 is held in snug engagement with the body 40 and in axial alignment with the rotational axis 60. Although the balloon 42 is shown having an hourglass shape because the opening 58 has a smaller diameter than the natural diameter of theinflated balloon 42, it is to be understood that the opening 58 may be formed to have a larger diameter such that the balloon 42 can assume its natural spherical shape while still being frictionally engaged with the internal wall 62.

The toy 38 is prepared for use in the same manner as the flying balloon toy 10 described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-3. The balloon 42 is inflated and mounted in the body 40. It is then hand launched by a user 64 as shown in FIG. 4. The toy 38is typically launched by grasping one of the blades 44 with either hand and throwing it such that it is spun in a counterclockwise direction about the rotational axis 60 to generate momentum and lift. The additional surface area provided by the balloon42 projecting on both sides of the body 40 creates drag without creating any substantial weight. As such, the toy 38 will fly at a slower air speed with good stability, making it suitable for use indoors as well as outdoors.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate yet another alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the flying balloon toy 66 is in the shape of a conventional boomerang. The toy 66 includes an aerodynamic body 68 and an inflatable balloon 70. The balloon 70 isthe conventional type balloon described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-7 and will not be described in detail herein except to note that the balloon 70 includes a side wall 72 and a constricted neck portion 74.

The aerodynamic body 68 includes a pair of blades 76 that project radially outward from a central hub 78 and are positioned approximately 90 degrees apart. Each blade 76 has a leading edge 80 and a trailing edge 82. In order to generate lift asthe body 68 travels through the air, the leading edge 80 of each blade will be slightly thicker than the trailing edge 82 to form an arch or camber. The hub 78 includes a central opening 84 that is axially aligned with the rotational axis 86 of the body68. The opening 84 includes internal side walls 88 that frictionally engage the side wall 72 of the balloon 70 to hold the balloon 70 in engagement with the body 68. Although the balloon 70 is shown having an hourglass shape, it is to be understoodthat the opening 84 may be sized to permit the balloon 70 to assume its natural spherical shape when inflated while snugly engaging the balloon 70. In order to maintain as light a weight as possible, the body 68 is preferably constructed of lightweightmaterial, such as that described above in conjunction with the flying toy 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The flying toy 66 illustrated in FIGS. 8-10 is used in the same manner as described above with respect to the alternative embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 1-3 and FIGS. 4-6, and more particularly as shown in use in FIG. 4. However, the flying balloon toy 66 illustrated in FIGS. 8-10 may be hand launched to rotate in either direction to achieve the V-shaped flight path of a conventional boomerang.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate yet another alternative embodiment of a flying balloon toy 90 having a disk-shaped aerodynamic body 92 encircling a helium-filled balloon 94. It is well-known in the art that such helium-filled balloons tend to losethe gas at a rapid rate, resulting in shrinkage of the balloon 94. Consequently, it is desirable to have the aerodynamic body 92 equipped to maintain contact with the balloon 94 as it shrinks. To this end, the aerodynamic body 92, which is nearlyidentical to the aerodynamic body 12 described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-3, is formed into right and left halves 96 and 98 respectively. Each of the halves 96 and 98 are pivotally joined on one side by a pivot pin 100 in a conventional fashion. With the right and left halves 96 and 98 so attached, they pivot about the pin 100 so that the free ends 102 and 104 slide together and overlap to constrict or dilate the opening 106 in which the balloon 94 is held. A biasing means in the form of ahelical spring 108 has its ends attached to a tab 110 and 112 formed on or near each free end 102 and 104 to bias the right and left halves 96 and 98 together.

With this embodiment, the size of the opening 106 is changed in response to change in the diameter of the balloon 94. More particularly, as the diameter of the balloon 94 decreases due to loss of internal gas, the helical spring 108 pulls thefree ends 102 and 104 of the body 92 together to constrict the opening 106. It is to be understood, however, that other methods may be used for biasing the halves 96 and 98 together, and other methods may also be used to pivotally attach the halves 96and 98 together, without departing from the scope of the invention.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the invention is to be limitedonly by the scope of the claims that follow.

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