Flat-Packaged Air Glider Toy

The present invention relates to disc-like toys of the type which glide through the air when caused to spin about a central axis disposed perpendicular to the disc.

Aerodynamic toys which resemble flying saucers have gained a significant degree of popularity. Such toys are usually thrown by hand, using a wrist-snapping motion, whereby a spinning motion is imparted to the toy. The toy is contoured to impart a lift force thereto in response to the spinning motion.

As a general rule, toys of the type described are strictly for outdoor use. There is a two-fold reason for this. On the one hand, the toys are designed to be thrown across distances and at heights which exceed the dimensions of the rooms found in most homes; on the other hand, these toys are made of molded plastic which is so hard as to be likely to cause damage to the furniture and other household items which might be struck.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a toy of the type described which is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

It is also typical that the type of toy described requires a significant thickness in order that it may operate aerodynamically and experience lift once spinning. Such thickness precludes the flat packaging that would be desirable for efficient shipping and necessary if the toy were to be included as a give-away item in a package of breakfast cereal or the like.

It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a toy of the type described wherein the thickness dimension is negligible for purposes of packaging.

In accordance to the present invention, a disc-like member is provided with a plurality of through-cuts of generally spiral shape. The disc is flat for purposes of packaging but may be bowed or domed in an upwardly convex configuration, whereupon the blade-like sections subsisting between the spiral cuts provide lift surfaces having exposed edges. When the device is spun, air rushes along the blade lift surfaces to provide a lift force related to the spin velocity. Bowing of the disc may be effected by rotating the disc center relative to the disc periphery and may be achieved by means of a cross piece or strip configured so that its ends engage slots in the disc. The slots are positioned to cause the disc to bow when engaged by the cross piece. Alternatively, the blade surfaces may be folded to effect a domed configuration, thereby eliminating the need for a cross piece. Preferably, the parts are made of cardboard, heavy paper, flat plastic, or the like.

The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the plural embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view in plan of a disc employed in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view in plan of a cross piece suitable for use in effecting bowing of the disc of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view in plan of the disc of FIG. 1 and cross piece of FIG. 2 joined together in a toy assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken along lines IV--IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 in use;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view, partially diagrammatic, of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view taken along lines VII--VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of still another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a side view in elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 8.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a flat disc 10 in the form of a circular piece of flat cardboard, heavy paper, plastic, etc. Whichever material is used, it is important that the disc be semi-rigid, that is be sufficiently rigid to remain substantially planar when supported along a part of its periphery yet sufficiently flexible to permit the flexure required in the following description. A plurality of through-cuts 11 through 18 are defined through disc 10. Eight such through-cuts are illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 5; however, this number of through-cuts is not to be construed as limiting upon the scope of the present invention. The through-cuts 11 through 18 are successively equally spaced and begin at a relatively small radial distance r.sub.1 from the center of the disc 10 and extend over an arc of 180.degree. to a radial distance r.sub.2 from the disc center. The length of the cut can vary from 180.degree. and the cuts need not be part of a circle but rather can have a diameter which varies along the length of the cut. In any case, the centers of the through-cuts are not coincident with the center of disc 10 so that through-cuts provide an overall spiral configuration. The disc regions between the through-cuts 11 through 18 are spiral-shaped blade members 21 through 28 which are integral parts of the disc at their ends and are deformable out of plane relative to one another.

Four slots 31, 32, 33 and 34 are at 90.degree.-spaced locations along the periphery of disc 10. The slots extend lengthwise perpendicular to the respective radii of the disc. The slot locations are spaced from the disc center by a distance greater than the radius r.sub.2 at which the cuts 11 through 18 and members 21 through 28 terminate. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a cross-piece 35, preferably made from the same material as disc 10, is in the shape of a cross. Alternatively, cross-piece 35 may be formed from two individual rectangular members joined at their overlapped centers to form the cross. Cross-piece 35 includes four legs, 36, 37, 38 and 39 extending at 90.degree. locations from the cross center. The maximum length of the cross-piece 35 between the ends of opposite legs is less than the diameter of disc 10. The ends of the legs 36, 37, 38 and 39 each have respective radially extending tabs 41, 42, 43 and 44 defined therein between a pair of short through-cuts in the legs, extending radially inward from the outer end of the leg.

Cross-piece 35 is adapted to be secured to the underside of disc 10 as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The center region of a cross-piece (which may have its upper surface treated with adhesive 45 as illustrated in FIG. 2) is secured against the undersurface of the center of the disc. Tabs 41, 42, 43 and 44 are adapted to be inserted in the disc slots 31, 32, 33 and 34, respectively. The distance between opposite slots (for example, slots 31, 33) is less than the distance between the innermost parts of corresponding opposite tabs (for example 41, 43) so that the cross-piece 35 forces the center of disc 10 upward relative to the disc rim and thereby creates a dome effect 3. This dome effect is most clearly seen in FIG. 4 wherein the spiral elements 21 through 28 are shown extending spirally out of the plane of the disc rim, much like fan blades.

If the domed device is spun through the air about an axis extending perpendicular to the plane of the disc rim (e.g., as by snapping one's wrist in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5), the rush of air along the surfaces of blade members 21 through 28 produces a lift force related to the spin velocity. Unlike the conventional flying saucer type toys (for example, the "Frisbee") which are intended for outdoor use and which achieve lift due to translational movement, the apparatus of the present invention can be spun without translational movement and still experience lift. This spinning motion also imparts a gyroscopic stability to the device as is the case with conventional flying saucer toys. The feature of imparting lift without translational movement makes the device of the present invention ideal for utilization in confined spaces, such as indoors.

The doming effect required to bring blade members 21 through 28 out of plane is produced in the device of FIGS. 1-4 by making the distance between tabs 41 and 43 greater than the distance between slots 31 and 33 (and the distance between tabs 42 and 44 greater than the distance between slots 32 and 34) so that the cross-piece 35, when placed flush along the underside of the disc 10, pushes the center of the disc out of the plane of the disc rim. There are, however, other ways of achieving this doming effect, one of which is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Specifically, a disc 50, constructed according to the same considerations set forth for disc 10, has plural through-cuts 51 through 54 defining spiral blade members 55 through 58 therebetween. Through-cuts 51 through 54 are made in accordance with the same considerations set forth for through-cuts 11 through 18. A first pair of diametrically opposed and radially extending slots 63, 64 are defined proximate the disc periphery. Spaced at a small angle from these slots is a second pair of diametrically opposed and radially extending slots 65, 66.

Instead of cross-piece 35, a strip 59 is provided and includes tangentially extending tabs 61, 62 at its opposite ends. Tabs 61, 62 extend in the same rotational direction; that is, they extend transverse to the longitudinal dimension of strip 59 on opposite sides of the strip. Tabs 61 and 62 are spaced from one another by the same distance subsisting between slots 63 and 64 as well as the distance between slots 65 and 66.

Strip 59 is adapted to be engaged by a web 60 formed at the center of disc 50 between two parallel through-cuts 67, 68 made on opposite sides and equidistant from the disc-center. When held by web 60 in an unstressed condition, strip 59 is positioned so that tabs 61 and 62 are angularly off-set from and not engageable with either pair of slots 63, 64 or 65, 66. Under such circumstances the disc remains planar. If, however, strip 59 is rotated slightly against the constraints provided by the ends of the through-cuts 67, 68 forming web 60, tabs 61 and 62 may be inserted into slots 63 and 64, respectively. This produces a rotational stress in the disc, causing the center of the disc or web 60 to be angularly displaced relative to the disc rim or periphery. The rotational stress thus created causes the blade members 55 through 58 to be displaced angularly, thereby forcing the disc center out of the plane of the disc rim until equilibrium is achieved. This condition is illustrated clearly in FIG. 7. The disc is thus caused to achieve a dome configuration by the rotation of strip 59 against the constraint established at the disc center. A more pronounced doming effect may be provided by rotating strip 59 further so as to permit tabs 61, 62 to engage the slots 65, 66. In either case, the constraint at the disc center need not be provided by a web 60 but can be effected by securing the strip center to the disc center in any suitable manner, such as by adhesive, staples, etc. Likewise, the ends of the strip need not engage the disc periphery in a tab-slot arrangement but may instead be glued, stapled, etc.

A third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. A disc 70 includes three through-cuts 71, 72 and 73 disposed symmetrically at 120.degree.-space locations. It will be apparent that more than three cuts can be used. Blade members 74, 75 and 76 are defined between these through-cuts. The through-cuts 71, 72 and 73 may take the same regular arcuate contour provided for through-cuts 11 through 18 and 51 through 54; however, it is preferable for this embodiment to provide through-cut contours which permit the blade members 74, 75 and 76 to be more readily bent or folded. The disc center is twisted relative to the rim, in the manner indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8, to provide the doming effect best seen in FIG. 9. Each blade member is then bent or folded at two locations 77, proximate its ends, so that the rotational translation between the center and rim of the disc can be maintained. Thus, the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 requires only one piece, namely the disc, and eliminates the need for a cross-piece or strip to effect doming.

While I have described and illustrated a plurality of embodiments of my invention, it will be clear that variations of the details of construction which are specifically illustrated and described may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.