Abstract:
A play and/or exercise hoop for hip gyration is formed of a tube formed into a circle, the tube having a cross-section with a flat outwardly facing wall suitable for accepting a decorative strip adhered thereto. The cross-sectional shape of the tube is D-shaped.

Description:
The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/408,063 filed Apr. 21, 2006 and claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Appln. No. 60/673,817. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to play and/or exercise hoops of the type commonly known as “HULA HOOPS”. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Play hoops for rotation about the body are widely known, and used for rolling and gyrating about the hips and other parts of the body. These hoops are typically made from a length of plastic tubing having a circular cross-section. The plastic tubing is bent into the length of a circle and the ends are joined to form the hoop. Decoration is commonly provided by covering or wrapping the curved cylindrical surface, e.g. see Kessler U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,454; Kessler U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,136 and Kessler U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,760. 
     Such hoops may take other forms as well, noting Roh et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,939, and be internally weighted (Kessler &#39;136 and &#39;760, and Roh &#39;939), but such hoops are still formed of tubes having a circular cross-section, i.e. an annular profile in cross-section through the tubing. 
     Aesthetically, it would be desirable to provide other types of decoration, but the cylindrical nature of the tubing makes this difficult at best, and in certain ways impossible. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a play and/or exercise hoop of the general type discussed above, and is characterized by a tube cross-section which is preferably substantially D-shaped, with the flat surface of the “D” facing outwardly. The flat outwardly facing surface is preferably bounded by two end ribs. Simplified decorations of various types can be easily applied to the flat surface simply in the form of a decorative tape that is applied to the flat surface between the two end ribs. 
     By “flat surface”, what is meant is a surface which is flat in cross-section through the tubing, even though curved about the hoop. Such surface is also “flat” in the D-shaped tubing before the ends are joined in a circle to form the hoop. 
    
    
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a hoop in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows an elevation view of the hoop of  FIG. 1 , the hoop being the same in elevation at 90°, 180° and 270° from the position shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a top view of said hoop, the bottom view being identical. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 , showing the hoop with a decorative strip applied to the flat surface. 
         FIG. 5  shows an enlarged view similar to  FIG. 4  but without the decorative strip. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a connector for joining two ends of the tubing to form the hoop. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     A hoop  10  is shown according to the present invention formed of a tube  12  having a generally D-shaped cross-section as best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , with a flat wall  14  facing outwardly of the hoop  10  and located between two outwardly projecting end ribs  16 . The ends of the tube  12  are joined together to form the hoop  10  by a generally D-shaped connector plug  20  as shown in  FIG. 6 , the outer dimensions of the connector plug  20  desirably being sufficiently close to the internal diameter of the D-shaped tube  12  so as to provide a good friction fit. Alternatively, or preferably in addition to the friction fit, staples are driven through the tube  12  and connector plug  20  therewithin from the exterior of the flat wall  14  adjacent the two ends of the tube  12 . 
     The hoop  10  is formed of semi-rigid plastic, preferably extruded polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), the latter being a type of saturated, i.e. thermoplastic, polyester. The connector plug  20  may be formed of a similar plastic. The wall thickness of the tube  12  can vary, but in one non-limitative example is approximately 1 mm. The overall outside dimensions can also vary, and in one non-limitative example the width of the flat portion  14  between the end ribs  16  is about 1.3 to 1.5 cm. 
     Placed on the flat surface  14  between the two outwardly projecting end ribs  16  is a decorative strip  18 , which may simply be a decorative plastic tape having any form of decoration on its outer surface and adhesive on its inner surface. The decorative strip  18  is simply adhered to the outer surface of the flat wall  14  in any suitable manner, and may have any type of decoration thereon, e.g. diffraction rulings produced by holographic printing, or simply decorative patterns of various types. 
     The advantage of the present construction is that it makes decoration of the hoop  10  very simple and easy. No decorative wrapping or covering is required. An adhesive tape of any material, e.g. paper, plastic, cloth, having a decoration on its outer surface and adhesive on its inner surface, and having a width equal to or even somewhat less than distance between the end ribs  16 , can simply and easily be applied to serve as the decorative strip  18 , the end ribs  16  serving to provide a suitable boundary for maintaining the location of the decorative strip  18 . It will be understood that with such a construction, a standard hoop can be made to which a wide variety of decorative strips can be applied. 
     The present construction solves another problem which undesirably sometimes arises in the prior art wherein the hoop tubing has a circular cross section, the problem of connector deformation resulting in maintaining the overall shape of the hoop. The D-shaped cross-sectional configuration of the hoop tube  12  and the connector plug  20 , particularly when the corresponding connector plug  20  is well anchored within the abutted ends of the tubing  12 , such as by staples, adhesive or the like, serves to maintain the shape of the hoop  10  without deformation. 
     It is also desirable to provide a freely flowing material within the hoop, e.g. hard beads, small ball bearings, sand, or even liquid, e.g. water. A mixture of such materials may also be provided within the tubing  12 . The connector plug  20 , being hollow and having a bore of substantial cross-section permits substantially unrestricted flow therethrough. 
     The invention has been described above as embodying a tube with a D-shaped cross-section with the end ribs  16  defining the flat portion  14  therebetween. However, it will be understood that other cross-sectional configurations are contemplated, although not preferred. One such alternative cross-sectional shape is a D-shape without the end rib  16 . Other embodiments have other cross-sectional shapes including B-shaped, P-shaped, R-shaped, rectangular-shaped, and combinations thereof and variations therebetween. 
     The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without undue experimentation and without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. The means, materials, and steps for carrying out various disclosed functions may take a variety of alternative forms without departing from the invention. 
     Thus the expressions “means to . . . ” and “means for . . . ”, or any method step language, as may be found in the specification above and/or in the claims below, followed by a functional statement, are intended to define and cover whatever structural, physical, chemical or electrical element or structure, or whatever method step, which may now or in the future exist which carries out the recited function, whether or not precisely equivalent to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed in the specification above, i.e., other means or steps for carrying out the same functions can be used; and it is intended that such expressions be given their broadest interpretation.