Abstract:
A flying disc can be thrown back and forth between players as a flying body, which can be flown a certain flying distance even by an unskilled person, and which slowly descends after speed of horizontal movement reduces so that it can be caught easily by the other person. The flying disc includes a disc main body having an upper wall portion having an opening at a middle thereof and a curved face or an inclined face formed downwardly at an outer periphery of the upper wall portion; a propeller and a driving device for rotating the propeller which are disposed at a central portion of the opening; and a wing-shaped member mounted at an angle different from the propeller so as to receive a descending air current generated by rotation of the propeller and apply a rotative force to the disc main body.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a flying disc which can be thrown as a flying body. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    Conventionally, there is a flying object described in Patent Document 1 as a disc-shaped floating body. In the flying object, an upper blowing device including rotary blades for pressure-feeding air in an axial flow direction and a lower blowing device including rotary blades for pressure-feeding the pressure-fed air from the upper blowing device in a centrifugal direction are arranged on a same axis so as to be rotated in directions reverse to each other. A turbofan of the upper blowing device press-feeds the air, taken in from the centrifugal direction, in the axial flow direction through a through hole, and a turbofan of the lower blowing device press-feeds the air, taken in through the through hole, in the centrifugal direction. 
         [0003]    There is another known flying object such as a disc disclosed in Patent Document 2 which is held in a hand and flown far away. The flying object is not powered and maintained in an attitude by rotation applied when it is thrown and a flight duration and a flying distance are determined by a given initial speed. 
         [0004]    There is also a known flying toy having a circular outer periphery made of annular elastic wire and blades which are provided inside and to which buoyancy is given by rotation of the annular elastic wire as described in Patent Document 3. 
         [0005]    Moreover, there is a known flying device for moving horizontally by using a double rotor in which buoyancy is obtained by rotating a main power source and a main body in reverse directions to each other as described in Patent Document 4. 
         [0006]    In the flying object described in Patent Document 1, buoyancy for ascending upward is generated by a flow of air generated by the fans. By rotating the upper blowing device provided in an upper portion of an airframe and the lower blowing device provided in the airframe in the reverse directions with respect to each other, the airframe is prevented from rotating. Therefore, the flying object cannot be used as a flying body such as a flying disc which is thrown in a horizontal direction to fly far away. 
         [0007]    The disc described in Patent Document 2 is one of ordinary flying discs which are not powered. The disc can fly while making various trails according to a direction of throwing, the initial speed, a rotating speed, and the attitude. To horizontally fly the flying disc, the disc is thrown at a certain initial speed according to a desired flight distance and therefore the disc is flying at a relatively high speed when the disc is caught. The same holds true for the flying toy described in Patent Document 3. 
         [0008]    The propeller flying device described in Patent Document 4 is formed so that two propellers generate upward and horizontal propulsion forces. The propeller flying device is not intended to be thrown back and forth between people unlike the flying disc and there seems to be no flying disc intended to be thrown and mounted with such a propeller flying device. 
       PRIOR-ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
       [0000]    
       
         Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-137527 
         Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-88173 
         Patent Document 3: Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3083654 
         Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-172277 
       
     
       DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
       [0013]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a flying body which can be flown far away in a stable attitude as a flying disc. In other words, it is an object to provide a flying disc which can be thrown back and force between players as a flying body, which can fly certain distance even by an unskilled person, and which can descend slowly after speed of horizontal movement reduces so that it can be caught easily by the other person. Furthermore, to achieve the objects, it is an object to provide a structure which can increase buoyancy, stabilize an attitude, and maintain a drive force by rotation of the airframe utilizing a reaction force caused by rotation of the propeller. 
         [0014]    It is an object to provide a flying disc in which a propeller for generating buoyancy rotates when the disc is thrown and flies off a hand of a player, is maintained in this state in the air, and stops rotating when a flight ends. Moreover, it is an object to provide various means for starting or stopping rotation of the propeller automatically or by an arbitrary operation by a user. 
         [0015]    The invention is intended to achieve all of, any selected one of, or a combination of some of the above-described objects. 
       Means to Solve the Problems 
       [0016]    To achieve the above objects, the flying disc according to the present invention has the following structures. 
         [0017]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player comprises: 
         [0018]    a disc main body comprising an upper wall portion having an opening at a middle thereof and a curved face or an inclined face formed downwardly at an outer periphery of the upper wall portion; a propeller and a driving device for rotating the propeller which are disposed at a central portion of the opening; and a wing-shaped member for receiving a descending air current generated by rotation of the propeller and applying a rotative force to the disc main body in a direction reverse to the propeller. 
         [0019]    Since the flying disc has buoyancy due to the rotation of the propeller, it has flight duration longer than prior-art flying disc when thrown at the same initial speed, and slowly descends when it loses speed in a horizontal direction and reaches a receiving player. The wing-shaped member applies the rotative force to the disc main body by way of the air current generated by the propeller to thereby maintain the rotation of the disc main body given by user when the disc is thrown. The rotation of the disc main body has gyro effect which is effective to stabilize attitude during the flight and increasing flying distance. 
         [0020]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player comprises: 
         [0021]    a disc main body comprising an upper wall portion having an opening at the middle thereof and a curved face or an inclined face formed downwardly at an outer periphery of the upper wall portion; a propeller and a driving device for rotating the propeller which are disposed at a central portion of the opening; and a wing-shaped member mounted at an angle different from the propeller so as to receive a descending air current generated by rotation of the propeller and apply rotative force to the disc main body. 
         [0022]    Similar to the above-described flying disc, the wing-shaped member receiving the air current generated by the propeller applies the rotative force to the disc main body, which has an effect to maintain the rotation of the disc main body applied by the user when the disc is thrown. The rotation of the disc main body has a gyro effect which contributes to the stabilization of the attitude during the flight and the increase in the flying distance and is effective to maintain long flight duration of the disc main body and slowly descending the disc main body when the disc loses speed in the horizontal direction. 
         [0023]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player comprises: 
         [0024]    a disc main body comprising an upper wall portion having an opening at the middle thereof and a curved face or an inclined face formed downwardly at an outer periphery of the upper wall portion; a propeller and a driving device for rotating the propeller which are disposed at a central portion of the opening; and a wing-shaped member mounted at a different angle from the propeller so as to receive a descending air current generated by rotation of the propeller and apply a rotative force to the disc main body, wherein the driving device is supported by an arm provided near the center of the opening and the wing-shaped member is mounted to the arm. 
         [0025]    The flying disc has the similar operation and effects to the above-described flying discs. By providing the wing-shaped member to the arm for supporting the driving device, the structure can be simplified and reduced in weight. 
         [0026]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player includes: 
         [0027]    a disc main body including an upper wall portion having an opening at the middle thereof and a curved face or an inclined face formed downwardly at an outer periphery of the upper wall portion; a propeller and a driving device for rotating the propeller which are disposed at a central portion of the opening; and a wing-shaped member mounted at an angle different from the propeller so as to receive a descending air current generated by rotation of the propeller and apply a rotative force to the disc main body, wherein the driving device is supported by an arm provided near the center of the opening and the wing-shaped member is formed by shaping the arm. 
         [0028]    The flying disc has the similar operation and effects to the above-described flying discs. By forming the arm for supporting the driving device into such a shape as to function as the wing, the structure is simplified and the flying disc is reduced in weight. 
         [0029]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player comprises: 
         [0030]    a disc main body comprising an upper wall portion having an opening at the middle thereof and a curved face or an inclined face formed downwardly at an outer periphery of the upper wall portion; a propeller and a driving device for rotating the propeller which are disposed at a central portion of the opening and supported by an arm provided near the center of the opening; and a wing-shaped member provided to the arm for receiving a descending air current generated by rotation of the propeller and applying a rotative force to the disc main body, wherein a protecting member for covering an outer periphery or an upper portion of the propeller is provided to an upper face of the disc main body. 
         [0031]    The flying disc has the similar operation and effects to the above-described flying discs. By providing the protecting member, the propeller is prevented from coming in contact with the user. If the protecting member for preventing the propeller from coming in contact with the user is made of material which allows air to pass through, it reduces air resistance during the flight. 
         [0032]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player comprises: a disc main body comprising an upper wall portion having an opening at the middle thereof and a curved face or an inclined face formed downwardly at an outer periphery of the upper wall portion; and a propeller and a driving device for rotating the propeller which are disposed at a central portion of the opening, wherein a reaction force generated in a direction different from rotating direction of the propeller is transmitted to the disc main body. 
         [0033]    The flying disc has the similar operation and effects to the above-described flying discs and can use the reaction force of the rotation of the propeller as power for assisting the rotation of the disc main body. If the wing-shaped member is provided, it assists the reaction force of the propeller in continuing the rotation of the disc main body for a longer time. 
         [0034]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player comprises a switch or a sensor for rotating the propeller connected to the driving device. The switch or the sensor detects start of flight and automatically rotates the propeller. 
         [0035]    The flying disc is preferably lightweight and therefore cannot mount a high-capacity battery. Therefore, in order to suppress electric power consumption during time other than the flight, the switch or the sensor for controlling driving of the propeller is required. If a sensor for detecting start and end of the flight is used to automatically control start and stop of the driving of the propeller, it is possible to further prevent wasting of the electric power. 
         [0036]    A flying disc thrown by a hand of a player comprises a centrifugal switch which is energized as the disc main body rotates and rotates the propeller connected to the driving device, wherein the propeller is rotated by the rotation of the disc main body as a result of a flight and the rotation of the propeller is stopped by reduction in a rotating speed of or a stop of the rotation of the disc main body as a result of an end of the flight. 
         [0037]    The invention includes a switch for sensing the centrifugal force to close a circuit as a means of a sensor for detecting the start and the end of the flight. By controlling the start and the stop of the driving of the propeller by using the centrifugal switch, it is possible to prevent wasting of the electric power. 
         [0038]    Since the flying disc has buoyancy due to the rotation of the propeller, it has flight duration longer than a prior-art flying disc when thrown at the same initial speed and slowly descends when it reaches a receiving-side player. Moreover, because the start and the stop of the rotation of the propeller can be synchronized with the flight, it is possible to remove the burden of operating the switch, the electric power consumption can be reduced, and consumption of the battery can be suppressed. 
       Effects of the Invention 
       [0039]    The flying disc according to the invention has the propeller and flies in the substantially horizontal direction while generating the buoyancy with the rotation of the propeller. When the flying disc is thrown at the same initial speed, the flying distance increases in proportion to the flight duration. Since the flying disc according to the invention has the propeller, the flight duration is long and the flying disc can fly farther than the flying disc without the propeller. 
         [0040]    Since switching of the propeller is synchronized with the rotation of the disc main body caused by the flight, it is possible to maintain the rotation of the propeller by maintaining the energized state of the switch with the centrifugal force during the flight, which removes the burden of manually operating the switch for turning on and off. 
         [0041]    The flying disc according to the invention flies at a certain height until the last stage of the flight and slowly descends as the speed of the horizontal movement reduces. Therefore, it is easy to catch the approaching flying disc. 
         [0042]    The rotation of the disc main body is essential for maintaining the flying attitude in the air. The reaction force due to the rotation of the propeller and the wing-shaped member receiving the air current help the disc main body to continue to rotate. As a result, according to the invention of the present application, the disc main body continues to rotate until the flying disc substantially loses speed and descends. Therefore, the flying disc can maintain the attitude until end of the flight. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0043]      FIG. 1  is a plan (top) view of a flying disc. 
           [0044]      FIG. 2  is a side view (partially sectional view taken along a line X-X′ in  FIG. 1 ) of the flying disc. 
           [0045]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the flying disc. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0046]    A mode for carrying out the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 
         [0047]    In the respective drawings, a reference numeral  1  designates a flying disc according to the present invention. The flying disc  1  comprises a disc main body  2  in a shape of an inverted dish having an outside shape of about 20 to 30 cm and a propeller  3  for rotating at a position protruding from an upper face of the disc main body  2 . 
         [0048]    The disc main body  2  is formed as a thin-walled rigid structure which is 23 cm in diameter and about 3 cm in height as an optimum form. The disc main body  2  comprises a thin-walled frame  4  made of synthetic resin in a lattice shape and a resin film  5  covering the frame  4 . The disc main body  2  is not limited to this structure but other structures may be employed. 
         [0049]    The disc main body  2  has the outside shape of the inverted dish and has a circular opening  6  formed at the middle. At an outer periphery of a substantially flat upper wall portion, a side wall  7  curved downward with a radius of curvature which is substantially equal to a height of the disc main body  2  is formed. The shape of the side wall  7  is not limited to the curved face but any appropriate shape such as an inclined face including a straight-line element may be employed in consideration of flying efficiency. 
         [0050]    When the disc main body  2  having the above-described structure is thrown in a horizontal direction while rotating, it flies through inertia while maintaining buoyancy by means of the shape of the outer peripheral portion and the upper wall portion excluding the opening  6 . 
         [0051]    As an example, the disc main body  2  comprises a frame  4  for maintaining the shape and the resin film  5  covering the frame  4 . The frame  4  is formed in the thin-walled lattice shape having narrow beams for maintaining the disc shape. By covering the entire frame  4  with the resin film  5 , window-like openings formed between the lattice beams are closed. As the resin film  5 , a heat-shrinkable film is used, for example. After covering the entire frame  4  with the resin film  5 , the resin film  5  is heated and shrunk to come in close contact with the frame  4 . Alternatively, the portion made up of the frame  4  and the resin film  5  may be formed as an integral member. 
         [0052]    The disc main body  2  is formed as described above in order to reduce the weight while maintaining the shape of the disc. Although the frame  4  is formed into the lattice shape having the openings, it may be formed to have thin films closing areas corresponding to the openings so that the same effect can be obtained as in the frame  4  covered with the film. 
         [0053]    At the center of the opening  6 , a mounting plate  8  for the propeller  3  is provided. The mounting plate  8  is a portion integrally formed with the frame  4  and is a circular portion supported by spoke-shaped arms  11  extending from a central portion of the upper wall face toward the outer periphery. 
         [0054]    On a back face of the mounting plate  8 , a driving portion  9  for rotating the propeller  3  is provided. The driving portion  9  comprises a case in which a battery, a motor and a group of gears connected to a motor shaft are accommodated. In the driving portion  9 , when a centrifugal switch  12  (described later) is closed, the motor rotates to rotate a drive shaft  10  protruding upward from the mounting plate  8  through the group of gears. The drive shaft  10  is mounted with the propeller  3  and the propeller  3  is rotated by the rotation of the drive shaft  10 . 
         [0055]    The propeller  3  is disposed at the central portion of the opening  6  formed at the middle of the disc main body  2  as described above, the central portion of the opening  6  where the propeller  3  is disposed does not refer to a narrow area limited to a central point of the opening  6 . In other words, the central portion refers to an area having a certain expanse surrounding the central axis of the disc main body  2 , where the propeller disposed in this area can exert an effect of causing an air current to pass through the opening  6  from an upper side to a lower side. 
         [0056]    Therefore, the central portion of the opening  6  at which the propeller is disposed is not limited to the above-described portion above the mounting plate  8  from which the drive shaft  10  protrudes. As long as the flying disc of the invention can exert its characteristic and fly, the propeller may be disposed at the same height as the upper wall face of the disc main body  2  which is substantially the same height as the mounting plate  8  or may be disposed at a lower position than the upper wall face of the disc main body  2 . The propeller  3  is preferably provided at a position slightly higher than the upper wall face of the disc main body  2  as shown in the drawing. If the propeller  3  is disposed in such a manner that the disc main body  2  hangs from the propeller  3  which generates buoyancy, it is easy to stabilize a flying attitude. 
         [0057]    In the embodiment, the four spoke-shaped arms  11  ( 11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c , and  11   d ) supporting the mounting plate  8  are provided. On a back face of one arm  11   a  of the four arms, the centrifugal switch  12  is mounted. 
         [0058]    The centrifugal switch  12  is a switch formed so as to close a circuit when a centrifugal force is generated in a certain direction. The centrifugal switch  12  used in the embodiment is formed so that an iron ball housed in the switch  12  presses an inner contact due to the centrifugal force to achieve energization and that the energization is canceled when the centrifugal force ceases. 
         [0059]    The centrifugal switch  12  is provided along the arm  11   a  provided to extend from the center to the outer periphery and energized due to the centrifugal force caused by rotation of the disc main body  2 . The centrifugal switch  12  closes the circuit connecting the motor and the battery built into the driving portion  9  to rotate the motor to rotate the propeller  3 . In other words, the propeller is rotated as the disc main body  2  rotates. The propeller  3  rotates counterclockwise in a plan view (when seen from above). 
         [0060]    On the arm  11   c  located at an opposed position of the arm  11   a , a weight  15  for balancing with the centrifugal switch  12  is mounted. 
         [0061]    Each arm  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c , and  11   d  facing the opening  6  vertically passing through the disc is respectively provided with wings (wing-shaped members)  13  ( 13   a ,  13   b ,  13   c , and  13   d ) having inclined faces. Each wing  13  receives a descending air current generated by the propeller  3  to generate a force for rotating the disc main body  2  in a direction reverse to the propeller. The wings  13  are formed as inclined plates inclined toward a moving (rotating) direction. 
         [0062]    The wing-shaped members may have structures for receiving the air current of the propeller to give the disc main body  2  a rotative force in the same way as the above mentioned wings  13  by forming the arms  11  into narrow plate shapes and providing them angles (twisting them). Therefore, shapes of the wings and places where the wings are mounted are not limited to those in the drawings. 
         [0063]    Rotation of the disc main body  2  caused by throwing is maintained by an inertial force retained by the disc main body  2  and is gradually attenuated by air resistance of exposed portions of the frame  4  and the resin film  5  covering the surface of the frame  4 . 
         [0064]    The rotation of the disc main body  2  has a gyro effect of stabilizing the attitude of the airframe during the flight. Therefore, the rotation of the disc main body  2  is an important element for the type of flying disc to be thrown. 
         [0065]    By receiving the descending air current generated by the propeller  3 , the wing  13  generates the rotative force for rotating the disc main body  2  in a direction reverse to the propeller  3 . The wings  13  acts to keep the rotation of the disc main body  2  by supplementing the rotative force of the disc main body  2  attenuated by the air resistance. The rotation of the disc main body  2  has effects of stabilizing the flight, maintaining the buoyancy, and reducing air resistance against traveling direction. The flying disc according to the embodiment can achieve the stable flying attitude and the flying distance by utilizing a reaction force of the propeller to the rotation of the disc main body  2 . 
         [0066]    Since the propeller  3  is mounted to the disc main body  2 , the reaction force of the propeller  3  acts on the disc main body  2  to rotate the disc main body  2  when the propeller  3  rotates. The above-described Patent Document 1 has a means for preventing the rotation of the airframe cause by the reaction force. While, the flying disc  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention has a structure for transmitting the reaction force to the disc main body  2  without canceling the reaction force. The flying disc according to the embodiment of the present invention utilizes the reaction force caused by the rotation of the propeller as well for the rotation of the disc main body  2 , which is effective to the stability of the flight and so on. 
         [0067]    Although, the rotation of the propeller  3  does not generate a propulsion force in the horizontal direction, it gives buoyancy to rise the disc main body  2 . Although the propeller  3  and the driving portion  9  used in the embodiment of this invention do not have enough buoyancy to lift the stationary disc main body  2  and cause it to rise, they are adjusted to have such a degree of force as to allow the falling disc main body  2  to gently descend. 
         [0068]    In the flying disc  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical protecting portion  14  is provided to the upper face of the disc main body  2  to cover an outer periphery of the propeller  3 . The protecting portion  14  is the portion which looks like a trapezoidal protuberance protruding from the upper face of the disc main body  2  when seen from a side, which is provided to prevent tip end portions of the high-speed propeller  3  from coming in contact with the user. The protecting portion  14  also has an effect of guiding the air current generated by the propeller  3  from the upper side to the downside. The protecting portion  14  is formed to be light weight. 
         [0069]    The protecting portion may be formed by using a net-like member. In case the protecting portion is formed by using the net-like member, the net-like member may be formed in the cylindrical shape like the above-described protecting portion  14  or only an upper portion or the entire periphery including the upper portion may be covered with the net-like member. If the net-like member is used, it is possible to prevent contact of the propeller with a human body while reducing the air resistance during the flight. 
         [0070]    As an example, the above-described centrifugal switch  12  is used as a starting means of the propeller  3  in the flying disc  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention, thereby the rotation of the propeller  3  starts as the flight starts and the rotation of the propeller  3  stops as the flight ends. However, switching of the propeller  3  is not limited to this example. 
         [0071]    For example, physical quantities of or changes in vibration, sound, distortion, acceleration, and the like generated in the disc main body as throwing of the flying disc  1  starts may be detected by sensors and a circuit may be driven based on the detected signals to rotate the propeller  3 . Moreover, a timer means for forcibly stopping the propeller  3  when a certain amount of time elapses may be provided as well for this control and the propeller  3  may be stopped when the sensors cannot determine that the flight has ended. 
         [0072]    If the timer is used to stop the propeller  3 , it is also possible to start the rotation of the propeller  3  with a mechanical switch including the centrifugal switch  12  without using the sensors for detecting the physical quantities. 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0073]    The present invention can be utilized for a flying body called a flying disc. 
       DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
       [0000]    
       
           1  flying disc 
           2  disc main body 
           3  propeller 
           4  frame 
           5  resin film 
           6  opening 
           7  side wall 
           8  mounting plate 
           9  driving portion 
           10  drive shaft 
           11  ( 11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c ,  11   d ) arm 
           12  centrifugal switch 
           13  ( 13   a ,  13   b ,  13   c ,  13   d ) wing 
           14  protecting portion 
           15  weight