Abstract:
A toy throwing object including a plurality of fins of sufficient flexibility to permit the device to travel in two distinct modes of operation. In a first mode, the device travels ballistically without significant rotation. In a second mode, the device rotates in a helicopter-like fashion.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This patent claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/150,840 filed on Feb. 9, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to toys and more specifically, projectile toys (i.e, toys that are thrown). 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Throwing toys such as balls and other spherical and spheroid objects are well known in the art, and were likely among the first toys known. 
         [0006]    In more recent times, inventors have sought to improve balls and similar objects by augmenting the rudimentary ball “design” with additional structures and accouterments. One general class of such structures includes fin and fin-like adjuncts affixed to spheroid (American football shaped) throwing toys. These fin and fin-like adjuncts generally facilitate straighter and/or longer flight of the thrown objects, and may also serve aesthetic functions as well. 
         [0007]    One example of such a design may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,288,037 to Myers. Myers discloses an American football having a plurality of fins rigidly configured in an “S” shaped configuration to induce the football to spiral when thrown. Because the fins are rigid, the spiraling effect occurs at all times during the flight of the ball through air. 
         [0008]    Another example of such a design is U.S. Des. Pat. No. D346,001, which discloses a design of a “tossing toy” having an American football shaped body and a unitary, apparently rigid fin structure affixed thereto. With these considerations in mind, it is desirable to have solutions of new invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The subject invention is directed to a new and useful throwable toy object. An embodiment of the throwing object includes a projectile body portion having a plurality of tail fins extending outward from a rear of the projectile body. Each of the tail fins is movable between first and second positions by a measure of aerodynamic drag on each of the tail fins while the toy projectile is in flight. 
         [0010]    Each of the tail fins is defined by proximal and distal ends and spaced apart leading and trailing edges extending between the proximal and distal ends. Each of the tail fins includes a first portion proximal a distal end and trailing edge portion residing in a plane below a plane defined by the leading edge extending between the proximal and distal ends of the fin body. 
         [0011]    Each of the tail fins also includes a second portion proximal a proximal end and trailing edge portion residing in a plane below the plane defined by the first portion of each fin. Each of the tail fins is configured and operable in the first position to extend at a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the projectile body creating sufficient aerodynamic drag on each of the tail fins causing the projectile body to rotate substantially around the axis defined by a path of flight of travel relative to the throwing object. And when in the second position, each of the tail fins is configured and operable to extend at a second angle smaller than the first angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the projectile body sufficient to minimize aerodynamic drag on each of the tail fins enabling the projectile body to maintain a ballistic travel path during a portion of flight for throwing object. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, provided is a dart styled throwing object having a dart shaped projectile head portion and an elongate body portion defining a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal end. The proximal end of the elongate body is coupled to a rear portion of the projectile head portion and extends longitudinally from the rear of the projectile head portion. 
         [0013]    The elongate body includes a plurality of tail fins extending from the proximal end of the elongate body portion, each of the tail fins extends outwardly from elongate body portion and longitudinally from the rear of the projectile head. Each of the tail fins is configured to be movable between first and second positions by a measure of aerodynamic drag on each of the tail fins while the dart styled throwing object is in flight as mentioned above. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    So that those having ordinary skill in the art to which the subject invention pertains will more readily understand how to make and use the subject invention, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein with reference to the drawings. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a ball style preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a ball style preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of a ball style preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a ball style preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A through 5D  are various views of a mini-ball style preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a dart style preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of a dart style preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of a dart style preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a dart style preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0025]    The figures disclosed herein are drawn to scale for the embodiments they depict. A ball style embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . Various views of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  are also depicted in  FIGS. 2-4  and  5   a - 5   d . Body  1  is a generally spherically shaped (i.e., ball shaped) structure. Body  1  may be of any surface configuration, including, for example, smooth, ridged or dimpled, or may include other surface features, such as channels  1 A. Body  1  is attached to a plurality of fins  2 . The embodiments of  FIGS. 1 through 9  show three fins, which is the preferred number, but the invention disclosed herein is not restricted to any particular number of fins. 
         [0026]    Fins  2  include a front face  9  and a rear face  10 . Front face  9  may be concave and rear face  10  may be convex. Fins  2  each includes a leading edge  7  and a trailing edge  8 . Leading edge  7  terminates in leading edge distal end  6  and the trailing edge terminates in the trailing edge distal end  5 . 
         [0027]    Fins  2  are connected to body  1  via necks  11 .  FIG. 1  is depicted with contour lines  11 A to show contour in the preferred embodiment. The lines do not depict physical structure. 
         [0028]    Necks  11  may be formed integrally with fins  2 , which in turn may be formed integrally with body  1 . Alternatively, any of fins  2 , neck  11  and body  1  may be formed separately from the other portions an affixed to them by means of glue, plastic welding, or any other means of fixation. 
         [0029]    Fins  2  include a curved portion  4  defining cutaway  3  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) adjacent to neck  11 . Fins  2  may be generally arcuate in shape such that point E lies below a plane defined by points A, B and C, and point D may lie below a plane defined by points A, C and E. Point A may be called the “leading proximal end of the fin,” point B may be called the “trailing distal end of the fin at the neck,” point C may be called the “leading distal end of the fin,” point D may be called the “trailing distal end of the fin,” and point E may be called the “trailing distal end of the fin.” 
         [0030]    In one method of use, the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  operates as follows. A user holds ball  1  and thereby throws the device. Aerodynamic drag causes tip  12  of ball  1  to lead relative to the path of flight while distal ends  6  of the fins  2  trail behind tip  12  of ball  1  relative to the direction of flight. Fins  2  may be formed of a material allowing the fins to elastically deform inward when the object is thrown; that is, leading distal ends  6  flex inwardly towards the line defined by the path of flight in relation to the speed of the device through the air, effectively being “tucked behind” body  1 . While the fins are flexed inwardly, the device is in its ballistic phase of flight. 
         [0031]    Aerodynamic drag during the ballistic phase of flight slows the device until the elastic force (i.e., the tendency of the fins  2  to return to their non-flexed state) exceeds the force exerted on fins  2  by the aerodynamic drag. At this point, the fins return substantially fully to their non-flexed position and the device enters its rotational (also called its “helicopter”) phase of flight. In this phase, the aerodynamic drag on the fins  2  cause body  1  to rotate substantially around the axis defined by the path of travel, generally defined by a line perpendicular to the sphere of ball  1  at a point in the center of necks  11 , shown generally by letter F in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0032]    In order to facilitate the two phases of flight, fins  2  may be attached to body  1  via necks  11  at an angle of approximately 30-60 degrees from a line perpendicular to the sphere of ball  1  at a point in the center of necks  11 , shown generally by letter F in  FIG. 1 . Angles greater than approximately 60 degrees may create too much aerodynamic drag, slowing the object&#39;s flight and possibly preventing ballistic phase flight. Angles of less than approximately 30 degrees may not create sufficient aerodynamic drag to facilitate rotational phase flight. 
         [0033]    Furthermore, to facilitate the two phases of flight, the fins  2  when tucked behind body  1  may include a portion extending beyond the edge of body  1 ; that is, fins  2  may not be entirely tucked behind body  1 . By having a portion of fin  2  extend beyond body  1  in the ballistic phase of flight, a certain amount of aerodynamic drag is created at fins  2 , slowing the device and permitting it to transition into the rotational phase of flight. In certain embodiments, fins  2  extend from roughly 25 to 40 percent beyond body  1 . 
         [0034]    In certain embodiments, the surface area ration of ball  1  to fins  2  are from approximately 1-3 to approximately 1-4. In certain embodiments, the weight ration of ball  1  to fins  2  are from approximately 6-1 to over 10-1. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 6 through 9  show a dart style embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, fins  2  may be configured substantially as described for the ball style embodiment. Fins  2  are then attached to elongated body  101 . Elongated body  101  terminates in head  100 . Elongated body  101  may have any cross sectional shape, forming, for example generally a cylinder or a triangular prism. Elongated body  101  may include indentations  102  or other surface features. While fins  2  are shown affixed to elongated body  101 , they may alternatively be attached directly to head  100 . 
         [0036]    The dart style preferred embodiment may be operated in much the same manner as previously described for the ball style embodiment. A user may throw the device by holding head  100 , or, alternatively, by holding elongated body  101  and throwing the device in an underhanded manner. 
         [0037]    While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the pertinent art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects.