Abstract:
In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a toy disk wheel. The disk wheel is defined to include a housing having first and second housing members, each housing member is substantially shaped as a half disk such that assembly of the first and second housing members forms a disk with a rounded outer surface to permit the housing to roll on a surface and a pair of outer sections. A transparent side portion is positioned along each outer surface of the pair of outer sections. Each transparent side portion includes a protuberance positioned about the center of the transparent side portion with a notch positioned thereon. The notch is used to accommodate an axle having ends which transverse the housing to rotatably position in the notches of both side portions.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to toys and more particularly to gravity propelled roller disks of the type further detailed herein. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    While the filed of toys is well known and well developed there is always a continual need for improvements that increase the time kids play with the toys, especially toddlers and infants. The growth potential for these children may very well be dependant upon interaction between the child and its environment, including parents, siblings, activities, developmental toys, and other playful toys. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a toy disk wheel. The disk wheel is defined to include a housing having first and second housing members, each housing member is substantially shaped as a half disk such that assembly of the first and second housing members forms a disk with a rounded outer surface to permit the housing to roll on a surface and a pair of outer sections. A transparent side portion is positioned along each outer surface of the pair of outer sections. Each transparent side portion includes a protuberance positioned about the center of the transparent side portion with a notch positioned thereon. The notch is used to accommodate an axle having ends which transverse the housing to rotatably position in the notches of both side portions. 
         [0004]    An object having a bottom portion heavier then a top portion and having an opening therethrough is set to receive the axle such that the object is freely pivotal about the axle, whereas when the housing is rolling on a surface, gravity cause the object to rock back and forth on the axle. 
         [0005]    In another aspect of the invention, the object being further defined as having a two piece middle section having edges positioned on either end, and a pair of outer sections separately positioned on either side of the two piece middle section, each outer section of the pair includes an armature extending to the axle and includes a ledge facing towards and resting on the edges of the two piece middle section. Further defined therein each housing member may include a flange extending towards each other housing member in a complimentary fashion such that when assembled the flanges overlap. Furthermore, the two piece middle section may further include a curved lower section terminating into an upper section, the upper section being smaller than the lower section such that the termination thereof creates the edges on either end. Yet still, the pair of outer sections may further include a lower section having an inwardly facing ledge curved to accommodate the curved lower section of the two piece middle section. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment of the present invention the toy disk wheel may be used in combination with different accessories. In one embodiment, an accessory may be defined as having a curved tack comprising a curved bottom element having outside edges and ends, a pair of curved side walls connected to the outside edges of the curved bottom, the side walls extending between the ends of the curved bottom element, and end stops secured at each of the ends of the curved bottom element. Therefore, when the curved bottom element is rocking along its curved bottom element and a disk wheel is placed between the curved side walls the disk wheel is able to roll between the end stops with the object rocking about the axle. 
         [0007]    Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    A fuller understanding of the foregoing may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a disk wheel made in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a cross section view of the disk wheel from  FIG. 1  taken about line  2 - 2  on  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is an exploded view of the disk wheel from  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the disk wheel in combination with a rocking accessory; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4B  is a side view of  FIG. 4A  showing the disk wheel and rocking accessory in one position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4C  is a side view of  FIG. 4A  showing the disk wheel and rocking accessory in another position; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a disk wheel in combination with a tower accessory; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6A  is a front perspective view of a disk wheel in combination with a carousel accessory; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6B  is a front perspective view of  FIG. 6A  with three disk wheels and the plunger in the up position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6C  is a front perspective view of  FIG. 6A  with three disk wheels and the plunger in the down position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7A  is a front perspective view of a disk wheel in combination of a pull cart accessory; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 7B  is an exploded view of the pull cart accessory. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    While the invention is susceptible to-embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein, in detail, the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the invention and/or the embodiments illustrated. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown a single embodiment of a disk wheel made in accordance with the present invention and is generally referenced as numeral  10 . Rather than being a sphere or circular shaped, the disk wheel is shaped as a disk to keep the wheel  10  rotating about a single plane. As shown from the side view, the disk wheel includes a suspended object  15  that is weighted or heavier on a bottom portion  20  thereof. The object  15  is suspended by freely securing the object about an axle  25 . The axle  25  is rotatably secured on its ends  27  to the inner wall portions  30  of either side of the disk wheel  10 . 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the axle  25  is positioned within a groove or notch  35  that is defined within a flange  40  that is extending inwardly from either side of the inner wall portions  30 . The axle  25  traverses the width of the disk wheel  10  and is positioned through the object  15 . 
         [0025]    The disk wheel  10  is made up of a two piece housing  40 . Each housing member  42  and  44  includes a complimentary flange  45  extending from an inner ridge  50  that is facing the other housing member. Thus, when assembled the two piece housing  40  as an overlapping flange section  52  that is typically sealed together with an adhesive, epoxy or glue. Also, when assembled the two piece housing  40  defines a rounded surface  55  between the outer edges  60  that is capable of supporting the disk wheel  10  in an upright fashion on a surface such that the disk wheel  10  will roll over a surface. Each housing member  42  and  44  further includes a transparent side  65  the permits the user to view the object from either side of the disk wheel  10 . 
         [0026]    The object  15  is assembled from multiple component objects. Shown in  FIG. 3 , the object  15  includes a two piece middle section  70  and two outer sections  80  separately positioned on either side of the two piece middle section  70 . Each of the two piece middle section and the two outer sections include an opening  75  to permit the axle  25  to slide therethrough and allow the object to freely hinge or rotate from the axle  25 . The two piece middle section  70  when assembled includes a lower curved section  72  that terminates into an upper section  74 . The upper section  74  is slightly smaller than the lower section  72  such that the termination of the two sections  72  and  74  is provided with edges  76  on either side of the upper section  74 . The two outer sections  80  each include a secondary lower section  82  that is curved to accommodate the curvature of the housing member and dimensioned larger than the lower curved section  72  of the two piece middle section  70 . Extending upwardly from the secondary lower section  82  is an armature  84  that includes the opening  75 . The secondary lower section  82  includes an inwardly facing ledge  86  extending from the edge  88  of the curved lower section  90  and from a top section  92  positioned on either side of the armature  84 . This permits the assembled two piece middle section  70  to rest within and against the inwardly facing ledge  86  such that the ledge portion extending from the top section can be positioned against the edges  76  on either side of the upper section  74  of the two piece middle section. 
         [0027]    Since the lower portion of the object  15  is heavier than the top portion, gravity causes the object  15  to rock back and forth on the axle as the disk wheel  10  rotates completely around. In the examples of the present invention, the object  15  depicted is a boat (the two piece middle section  70 ) with water waves (two outer sections  80 ). 
         [0028]    In another aspect of the present invention, the disk wheels  10  may be used in connection with other accessories. Referring now to  FIGS. 4A through 4C , there is shown a first accessory item  100  used in combination with the disk wheel  10 . The first accessory item  100  includes a curved bottom element  105  and a pair of curved side walls  107  that are connected to the outside edges of the bottom element  105 . The bottom element  105  includes a top surface  110  that accommodates the outside rounded surface  55  of the disk wheel  10 . End stops  115  are placed on the ends of the bottom element and side walls, to prevent the disk wheel  10  from falling out from either end of the first accessory When the first accessory item  100  is placed on a flat surface, the first accessory can rock back and forth 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a second accessory item  200  used in combination with the disk wheel  10 . The second accessory  200  includes an enclosed area  205  that is opened from an entrance opening  210  to an exit opening  215 . The disk wheel  10  is dropped through the entrance opening  210  that is position on the top portion of the accessory  200 . The disk wheel  10  travels downwardly and through the enclosed area  205  to the exit opening  215  that is positioned beneath the entrance opening  210  and near the bottom portion of the accessory. The enclosed area  205  is sized to accommodate the disk wheel  10  and includes a combination of drops and turns such that the disk wheel  10  moves back and forth from the front  215  to the back  220  of the item accessory  200 . In addition, one side of the accessory item  200  may be transparent such that the child can watch the disk wheel  10  turn and fall through the enclosed area  205 . The item accessory  200  may include an handle  220  near the top and may include a pivotal door or exit ramp  225  that the disk wheel  10  travels on when it exits the exit opening  215 . 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6A through 6C , there is shown a third accessory item  300  that is in the form of a carousel. The third accessory item  300  includes a circular platform  305  that is rotates on top of a base  310 . The base  310  includes a substantially flat bottom to rest on a surface. Stemming from the center of the circular platform  305  is a plunger type handle  315 . When the plunger type handle is pressed downwardly, it causes the circular platform  305  to rotate. Typically when pressed repeatedly the circular platform may rotate quickly and at faster speeds. The disk wheels  10  are placed upright on the circular platform  305  and will move as the circular platform rotates. However, when the circular platform  305  stops, the momentum of the moving disk wheels will keep them moving around the circular platform. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , there is shown a fourth accessory item  400  that is in the form of a pull cart. The fourth accessory item  400  is a pull cart that includes a plurality of wheels  405  that roll on a surface. The wheels  405  are mounted on axles  407  which are in connection with a gear train system  410  that mesh with drive gears  415 . The drive gears  415  are secured to a pair of rollers  425 . Thus, when the pull cart rolls on the ground the movement of the wheels  405  causes the pair of rollers  425  to rotate in the same direction. The pair of rollers  425  are positioned between two halves  430  of the pull cart housing  428  and have a portion  427  that extends through an intermediate surface  435  defined by the housing  428 . The rollers  425  are rotatably secured between one side of the housing  428  and the drive gears  415 . A pull rope  440  is secured at one end to the cart housing  428 . When the disk wheels  10  are placed upright on the rollers  425  and the pull cart  400  is pulled across a surface, the rollers  425  rotate causing the disk wheel to spin. While spinning, gravity causes the object  15  to rock back and forth on the axle as the disk wheel  10  rotates completely around. 
         [0032]    From the foregoing and as mentioned above, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concept of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific methods and apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.