Abstract:
This application relates to a retractable device that takes the retractable leash concept and adapts it to a projectile. The tethered projectile can be advanced by the user by kicking, throwing, hitting, or any other method of advancing a projectile. When the user initially advances the projectile, for example by throwing, the momentum of the projectile overcomes the spring force and the projectile advances a certain distance relative to the force applied to it. Once the projectile&#39; s momentum diminishes to a level below the spring force, the spring causes the spool to reverse direction and the slack is taken up and the projectile is retrieved.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/891,401 filed Feb. 23, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This application relates generally to a retractable projectile device. More specifically, this application relates to a retractable device that includes a tethered projectile that is advanced in some manner by the user and then the tethered projectile is drawn back to the device housing by a retracting mechanism. The device can be used in games for personal or competitive enjoyment. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Retractable devices that include a spring adapted to a spool mechanism are well known in the art when used for the purpose of a dog leash. Such mechanisms are known for the way that they allow for the excess leash to be taken up by the leash housing when the tension in the leash is less than that of the spring. This application relates to a retractable device that takes the retractable leash concept and adapts it to a projectile. The tethered projectile can be advanced by the user by kicking, throwing, hitting, or any other method of advancing a projectile. When the user initially advances the projectile, for example by throwing, the momentum of the projectile overcomes the spring force and the projectile advances a certain distance relative to the force applied to it. Once the projectile&#39; s momentum diminishes to a level below the spring force, the spring causes the spool to reverse direction and the slack is taken up and the projectile is retrieved. 
         [0004]    This automatically retrievable projectile can be used alone or it can be used in combination with various skill challenges whereby the projectile is adapted to potentially retrieve items that it comes in contact or knock over items that it comes in contact with. 
         [0005]    The application discloses a retractable projectile device comprising: a strap; a housing adapted to said strap for retaining a retracting mechanism; and a projectile functionally tethered to said retracting mechanism. 
         [0006]    The application also discloses a retractable projectile device that comprises strap means; retracting means adapted to said strap means; and projectile means functionally tethered to said retracting means and whereby the projectile means includes retrieving means such that the projectile means is able to retrieve an object that the projectile means comes in contact with. 
         [0007]    The application further discloses a method of using a retractable projectile device, the method comprising: strapping the retractable projectile device to an object; advancing a projectile; and retracting the projectile. 
         [0008]    The application further discloses a method of using a retractable device to retrieve an item of interest, the method comprising: strapping the retractable projectile device to the user; advancing a projectile toward an item of interest by some form of advancing means; and retrieving the projectile and the item of interest. 
         [0009]    The application further discloses a method of using a retractable projectile device in a game, the method comprising: strapping the retractable projectile device to an object; advancing a projectile; and retracting the projectile. 
         [0010]    The application further discloses a retractable projectile device comprising: a strap; a housing adapted to said strap for retaining a retracting mechanism, wherein the retracting mechanism comprises a spool that is used to hold a leash; a spring functionally adapted to said spool such that when the leash is pulled from the spool, the spring is put under tension and when the tension in the leash is below that of the spring, the tension in the spring is released and the spool is reversed and the leash is retracted back into the housing, and wherein the leash enters and exits the housing in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to and pointing toward the center of the spool; and, a bean bag type projectile functionally tethered to said retracting mechanism by attachment to said leash. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The drawings, when considered in connection with the following description, are presented for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a the preferred embodiment of the retractable projectile device of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the device in  FIG. 1  showing the retracting mechanism of the retractable projectile device of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  which includes subparts A-E, is a multi-figure progression showing a preferred embodiment of the retractable projectile device being used to retrieve an item of interest; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is perspective view of a first embodiment of the projectile that can be used with the retractable projectile device of the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is perspective view of a second embodiment of the projectile that can be used with the retractable projectile device of the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is perspective view of a third embodiment of the projectile that can be used with the retractable projectile device of the present disclosure; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the projectile that can be used with the retractable projectile device of the present disclosure; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the projectile that can be used with the retractable projectile device of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , shown therein and generally designated by the reference character  10  is a preferred embodiment of the retractable projectile device constructed in accordance with the following description. The device  10  includes a strap  11 , a housing  20 , a leash  30 , and a projectile  40 . 
         [0021]    As may be seen more clearly in  FIG. 2 , the housing  20  includes a generally tear shaped body  21  that includes a longitudinal bore  22  that runs though the pointed portion  23  of the housing  20  for the leash  30  to pass through. The housing  20  includes the retracting mechanism that is common in the prior art and includes a spool  24  that is used to hold the leash  30 . The spool  20  is functionally adapted to a spring  25  such that when the leash  30  is pulled from the spool  24  the spring  25  is put under tension. When the tension in the leash is below that of the spring  25 , the tension in the spring  25  is released and the spool  24  is reversed and the leash  30  is retracted back into the housing  20  through the bore  22 . Adapted to this common retracting mechanism is a pulley  26 , which partially engages the leash  30  and allows the leash  30  to enter and exit the housing  20  through the bore  22  in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to and pointing toward the center of the spool  24  rather than in a direction that is more tangential. This substantially perpendicular association allows the leash  30  to pass more freely through the bore  22 . The pulley  26  is mounted to the housing by use of a pin  27 , which allows the pulley  26  to freely rotate about its axis. 
         [0022]    The strap  11  can be made of a variety of materials such as elastic, Velcro™, rubber, plastic, or any other material that allows a user to securely attach the device  10  to the user ( e.g. wrist or shin) or some other object. 
         [0023]    The leash  30  can be made of a variety of materials such as common rope, string, chord. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the projectile  40  is fixedly attached to the leash  30  by means common in the art, such as a clip, loop, sewn or any other means whereby the projectile can be fixedly attached to the leash but also where the projectile can be switched from one form to another by the user based on the type of game to be played. In the first embodiment, as also shown in  FIG. 4 , the projectile is substantially ball shaped and includes a front surface  41  and rear surface  42  for attachment to the leash  30 . The front surface  41  may include retrieving means such as a magnet or Velcro™ so that when the projectile comes in contact with a receptive surface on an item of interest, the item will attach to the projectile and the item  51  will be retrieved with the projectile. See  FIG. 2 , for an example and below for further discussion of the operation of the device  10 . Preferably, the projectile is comprised of a been-bag type material so that it can partially absorb the impact when a user advances the projectile toward the item of interest  51 . The partial absorption allows for the improved attachment of the projectile to the item of interest  51 , and lessens the chance that the projectile merely bounces off the item  51 . 
         [0025]    Projectiles  40  of other forms are contemplated and include a projectile  40  with suction cups  43  about its front  41  and rear surface  42 . See  FIG. 5 . The projectile  40  may also be formed in different shapes, such as the spider shown in  FIG. 6 . Another retrieving means is shown in  FIG. 7 . Here the projectile  40  is made of a sticky semi-malleable material such as TPR that is common in the art and adheres to a broad range of materials. The projectile  40  does not have to include retrieving means and an example of such a projectile is shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a method of using the projectile in a retrieving game is shown. In this example, a board  50  is used in conjunction with the retractable projectile device  10 . The board may include various items  51  that are shaped or colored in different ways. The items  51  detachably adhere to the board using various attachment means such as, magnets, Velcro™, suction cups, hooks or any other similar mechanism that allows the items  51  to be detachably attached to the board  50 . A user or player would strap the device to the wrist, just above the hand, and in a way so that the body  21  would be adjacent to the under surface of the wrist (opposite the way a conventional wristwatch is worn). In this orientation the user would be able hold the projectile in the palm of the hand. The user would then select the item of interest  51  that it wished to retrieve. The user would then advance the projectile  40  preferably in an underhand motion toward the item  51 .  FIG. 3B . The force of the throw would overcome the spring  25  and the leash  30  would unwind from the spool  24  and exit through the bore  22 . In this example, the front surface  41  of the projectile  40  would include retrieving means such as the loop portion of a Velcro™ hook and loop assembly; the item  51  would then have the hooked surface  52 , or vice versa. 
         [0027]    Once, the projectile  40  makes contact with the item  51 , the front surface  41  engages the surface  52  of the item and the two surfaces detachably bind to one another.  FIG. 3C . After contact with the item  51 , the projectile&#39;s forward motion is stopped and the tension in the leash is now lower than the tension created in the spring  25  causing the spool  24  to reverse direction and the leash  30  is drawn back into the housing  20 . FIG.  3 D. As the projectile returns the user attempts to catch the projectile  40  and the attached item  51  in the palm of its hand.  FIG. 3E . The item is removed and either the player goes again until he or she fails, or the other player gets a chance. If, however, the player engages the wrong item, point may be taken away. The player that successfully removes their items first is deemed the winner. It should be appreciated that the actual method of how the game is played could be varied and yet not fall outside the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the retrieving mechanism in the above-described game could be a projectile  40  with a magnetized, suction cup, sticky, or any other surface that would allow for the detachable attachment to the item of interest  51 . 
         [0028]    In a further embodiment, the projectile  40  does not have to include retrieving means and the user instead may use the projectile to knock specific targets down with retractable projectile device  10 . In this embodiment, a cluster of objects are arranged and a player then picks and possibly announces the target in the cluster that he or she is electing to knock over. The cluster of objects would be so arranged so that certain targets would have a greater point value because the level of skill required to knock them down would be higher than others. If the player fails to knock down the intended target he or she would receive no points. If the player instead knocks down a different target or targets, the player would lose points. 
         [0029]    The retractable projectile device  10  may also be used as a practice device for certain sports such as golf, tennis, baseball, or any other sport where the instant retraction of the projectile, in this case the ball associated with the given sport, would increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a given practice session. For example with golf, the projectile could be an actual golf ball that is fixedly attached to the leash  30 . The user would then secure the device  10  to an object such as a grounded stake by the strap  11  or other means. The user would then hit the ball with a golf club and would thereby receive feedback on the quality of the shot based on the height, distance and direction of the ball. Once the leash  30  and ball retracted back to the housing  20 , the user would be ready for the next shot. 
         [0030]    While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.