Abstract:
An embodiment of the invention includes a flying vehicle having a fuselage, a pair of wings, the ability to manually apply a force against a portion of the wings causing the leading edge of each wing to sweep outwardly, the ability to mechanically holding the wings in a predetermined swept position, and the ability to bias the wings towards an initial inwardly swept position. A launcher rod with a rubber band is used to launch the vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The background of the invention relates to flying toys. Flying toys have been developed for many years. Flying toys may have different flying characteristics, depending on the sweep of the wings. The wings can be slightly swept, moderately swept or highly swept. The slightly swept wing is designs to create more drag and is idea for gliding and slower speeds, the moderately swept wing designed for commercial jetliners and cruising airplanes, while the highly swept wing is designed for faster aircraft, like modern jet fights. The ability to have a single flying toy capable of various wing swept designs would be highly desirable and thus there is a need to provide for the same. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for numerous embodiments, of which of few are summarized. Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings. 
     In a first embodiment there is provided a flying vehicle having a fuselage, a pair of wings, a means for manually applying a force against the a portion of the wings causing the leading edge of each wing to sweep outwardly, a means for mechanically holding the wings in a predetermined swept position, and a means for biasing the wings towards an initial inwardly swept position. 
     The fuselage may be further defined to include a top fuselage section and a bottom fuselage section. The top fuselage section has a tail section and a head section. The tail section has a knob extending rearwardly therefrom, and the head section further includes a pair of rods extending between the top and bottom fuselage sections. The fuselage further including a means for securing the bottom fuselage section and the head section of the top fuselage section to each other. 
     The wings are defined to each have a leading edge and a front end extending from a portion of the leading edge. The front end includes an opening sized to receive a rod, of the pair of rods. The front end further includes a rack with teeth, wherein when the wings are positioned on the rods the teeth align to mesh with each other. The front end further includes a notch adjacent thereto positioned to accommodate the securing means therethrough. Each wing further includes a terminal edge defined about each front end of the wing. The means for manually applying a force against the terminal edges of each front end of the wings towards the tail section of the fuselage is provided such that the wings pivot about the rods, causing the leading edge of each wing to sweep outwardly. 
     The means for securing the bottom fuselage section and the head section of the top fuselage section to each other may be defined as providing a centered opening in the top fuselage sized to receive a pin extending from the bottom fuselage section. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention the bottom fuselage section may further include a base having the pin extending therefrom to secure to the top fuselage section and the pair of rods extending therefrom to secure through the openings in the ends of the wings. In addition thereto, the bottom fuselage section may include a curved sectional member positioned at one end of the base. The curved section member includes a pair of opposing flanges extending inwardly across a portion of base. The wings when secured about the pair of rods have the terminal edges of each wing extend into the curved sectional member. 
     The means for manually applying a force against the terminal edges of each front end of the wings towards the tail section of the fuselage may be defined as including a helix screw, a nose cone, and an intermediate nose section. The helix screw has a circular end and a helical thread extending from the circular end. The circular end is positioned in the curved sectional member of the bottom fuselage section adjacent the terminal edges of each wing. The helical thread includes a key portion extending therefrom. The nose cone has a notch sized to receive the key portion such that the helix screw and nose cone a secured to each other and rotate as a single component. The intermediate nose section is positioned between the circular end of the helix screw and the nose cone. The intermediate nose section also includes an intermediate end secured to the top and bottom fuselage sections and includes a circular section extending from the intermediate end. The circular section is bored there-through accommodating the helical thread. Internally, the circular section further includes a projection permitting the helical thread to ride upwardly and downwardly through the circular section. As such when the nose cone is rotated, the helix screw rides through the intermediate nose section such that the circular end applies a force against the terminal edges of the wings causing the leading edge of each wing to sweep outwardly. 
     The means for mechanically holding the wings in a predetermined swept position may be defined by having at least one groove positioned on an interior surface of the nose cone and a detent positioned on an exterior surface of the circular section of the intermediate nose section. When the nose cone is rotated the at least one groove moves to engage the detent setting the wings in a predetermined swept position. 
     The means for biasing the wings towards an initial inwardly swept position may be defined by having a pair of springs, separately positioned about a rod, of the pair of rods. Each spring has one end positioned against one of the flanges and having another end positioned against a rail extending downwardly from the leading edge of the wing. 
     The means for manually launching the flying vehicle may be defined as providing a hook extending downwardly from the bottom fuselage portion, a launcher rod having a handle and a tip extending from a top portion thereof; and an elastic band being positioned about the tip and about the hook. A user is able to hold the handle in one hand and grasp the knob of the vehicle in the other hand, is able to pull the two away from each other, and is able to release the knob launching the vehicle. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A fuller understanding of the foregoing may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a flying vehicle with manually pivoting wings in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the wings in a moderate swept configuration 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective of the flying vehicle from  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the flying vehicle in  FIG. 1 , illustrating the wings in a folded configuration or a highly swept configuration; 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the flying vehicle in  FIG. 1 , illustrating one of the wings moved to various swept positions; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the flying vehicle from  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a inside view of a nose cone made in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the intermediate nose section made in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a helix screw, used to pivot the wings, made in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a bottom section member, used to secure and help pivot the wings, made in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a angled bottom side profile of one of the wings made in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a enlarged sectional view of some of the assembled components used to move the wings; and 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view of the some of the assembled components. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     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. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-12 , there is shown an flying vehicle  100  assembled from various components that will be further discussed below. The flying vehicle  100  include manually pivoting wings  110  that may be manually adjusted and locked into a position before flying. The wings  110  once positioned will stay in their position during the duration of the flight and until the user manually pivots the wings to a different position. As noted above, the position of the wings  110  may be moved to different swept positions, such as, slightly swept  110 A, moderately swept  110 B, or highly swept  1100 . The highly swept  110 C may also be a position similar to a closed position used for storage or packaging in the stores because the profile becomes very streamlined narrow and easy to package and transport. 
     The vehicle  110  includes a top fuselage section  120  with a tail section  122  and a head section  130 . The tail section  122  has a pair of extending rear elevators  124  and a vertical stabilizer  126  designed conventionally to help stabilize the flight of the vehicle  100 . A flat knob  128  is further provided behind the tail section  122  designed to be grasped by a user while the wings are being moved and during launching of the vehicle. The head section  130  includes a pair of female receivers  132  adapted to accommodate male pins  115  extending from a bottom fuselage section  140 . It being well noted that the male and female components can be reversed without changing the scope of the invention, as these male and female components only serve as a means for pivotally capturing an end  112  of the wings. The head section  130  further includes a centered opening  134  sized to receive a pin  142  extending from the bottom fuselage section  140  to aid in securing the top fuselage section  120  thereto. 
     To pivotally capture each wing  110 , an end  112  of the wing includes an opening  114  sized to receive the male pins  115  extending. The end  112  of each wing further includes a rack  116  with teeth that mesh to wings  110  together, such that the movement of the wings are simultaneous and even helping to prevent one wing to be at a swept angle different then the other wing. Nearly adjacent to the end  112  of each wing is a notch  118  that permits each wing to pivot towards the center with a space to accommodate the pin  142  connecting the top fuselage section  120  to the bottom section member  140 . 
     The bottom fuselage section  140  includes a base  144  with the extending pin  142  to secure to the top fuselage section  120  and openings  143  to receive the male pins  115  which secure through the openings  114  in the wings  110 . At one end of the base  144 , the bottom fuselage section  140  further includes a curved sectional member  146  with a pair of opposing flanges  148  extending inwardly towards the base  144 . Lastly the bottom fuselage section  140  has a hook  200  extending from the lower end  149  thereof. The curved section member  146  of the bottom fuselage section  140  accommodates a portion of the circular end  152  defined in the helix screw  150 . 
     The helix screw  150  includes the circular end  152  and a helical thread  154  that extends around a finger  156  extending from the circular end  152 . The finger  156  further includes a key  158  sized to fit within a notch  182  in a nose cone  180 . The end  159  of the finger  156  is secured to the nose cone  180  with the projecting key  158  fitting within the notch  182 , such that when the nose cone  180  rotates the helix screw  150  also rotates. The nose cone  180  further includes a number of grooves  184  spaced around the perimeter thereof. The grooves  184  are positioned to engage a detent  172  extending from an intermediate nose section  170 . 
     The intermediate nose section  170  is positioned between the helix screw  150  and nose cone  180  and includes one end  172  secured to the top fuselage and bottom fuselage sections  120  and  140 . The intermediate nose section  170  includes a circular section  174  extending from the end  172  and bored through to accommodate the helical thread  154  of the helix screw  150 . Inside the bored circular section  174  is a projection  176  sized such that the thread  154  can ride around the projection  176  and move upwardly and downwardly through the intermediate nose section  170 . Externally positioned on the circular section  174  is a detent  178  which fits into the grooves  184  on the nose cone  180  when the nose cone  180  is rotated an alignment between one of the grooves  184  and the detent is achieved. This as explained below also locks the position of the wings in one of the predetermined swept positioned. 
     When assembly, the wings  110  are pivotally secured between the top and bottom fuselage sections with the racks  116  engaged with each other. As the nose cone  180  is turned, the helix screw  150  will turn and slide through the intermediate nose section  180  about the projection  176  that is internal to the circular section  175 . Moving through the intermediate nose section  180 , the helix screw  180  will also move the circular end  152  through the curved section member  146  of the bottom fuselage section  140 . The circular end  152  is also positioned against a terminal edge  190  at the end of the rack  116 . When the circular end  152  is moved towards the wings, the circular end  152  pushes the terminal edges  190  causes the wings to pivot to a greater swept position. Once the detent  178  is aligned with one of the grooves  184  in the nose cone  180 , the wings lock into position. With a slight force in the continued rotation, the detent  178  will move out of alignment and will be allowed to move to another groove. 
     While rotation in one direction will cause the circular end to move towards the wings, conversely, when the circular end is moved away from the wings, the terminal edge  190  needs to maintain contact with the circular end. This is accomplished with springs  192  separately biasing the wings towards the center, thereby acting to move the terminal edges towards the nose cone or the wings to its initial folded or highly swept position. 
     The springs  192  are positioned around the male pins extending from the bottom fuselage section  140  and include two opposing ends. The first end  194  is positioned against the opposing flange  148  defined by the curved sectional member  146  and the second end  196  is positioned against a rail  198 , which extends downwardly from a leading edge of the wing  110 . 
     When assembled, the user can rotate the nose cone to position the wings in a desired swept position. A launcher rod  210  is provided with a handle  215  and a tip  220  extending from the top portion. A rubber band  225  or elastic band can be positioned about the tip and the hook  200 . A user can hold the handle  215  in one hand and grasp the knob  128  in the other hand. Pulling the two away from each other, the rubber band  225  will stretch storing a large amount of potential energy. Once the knob is released, the rubber band  225  transfers the potential energy in the rubber band to kinetic energy of the flying vehicle allowing it to fly through the air. 
     It should be further stated the specific information shown in the drawings but not specifically mentioned above may be ascertained and read into the specification by virtue of a simple study of the drawings. Moreover, the invention is also not necessarily limited by the drawings or the specification as structural and functional equivalents may be contemplated and incorporated into the invention 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. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.