Patent Publication Number: US-2007117492-A1

Title: Flying toy for propeller launching with liquid dispersing parts

Description:
This is a Continuation-In-Part Application of and claiming priority to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/353,404, filed Feb. 14, 2006, which is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 60/653,888, filed Feb. 15, 2005 and PCT/US05/05410, filed Feb. 18, 2005. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a flying toy and, more particularly, to a flying toy having a propeller or multi-blade boomerang.  
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
      A traditional hand-held flying toy uses a variety of mechanisms for simple sling action and catapult launching. Such mechanism is motor-driven or ripcord powered with bayonet coupling. After the propeller is launched, the propeller generally falls to the ground after the propelling motion can no longer support the flight. In order to re-launch the propeller, the propeller must be picked up and manually engaged with the launching mechanism.  
      It is desirable to provide a flying toy having a mechanism for catching the propeller in flight and launching the propeller after it has been caught.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention provides a landing platform affixed to a handle of a propeller launcher so as to catch a descending propeller. The landing platform has a funnel-shaped receptacle built in the middle of the platform. The propeller launcher comprises a gearbox with inverted conical pinch rollers, a two-prong coupler fitted to a motor shaft and a power button to engage the propeller for spinning it. The landing platform has a circular trough for holding a bubble solution, for example. The propeller has a plurality of nozzles to be seated in the trough when the propeller is engaged with the landing platform. The nozzles are arranged to pick up the bubble solution so that when the propeller is released from the landing platform, it scatters some of the bubble solution as bubbles along the flying path of the propeller.  
      The main body of the launcher body comprises two-half plastic shells, which accommodates a DC motor, one or more batteries, a gearbox assembly with a press button, and a landing platform preferably made of resilient material. The stem of the separate propeller is outfitted with a conical sleeve, which is retained by the inverted conical pinch rollers when the pinch rollers are moved inward. As such, the propeller is firmly engaged to the gearbox prior to releasing.  
      In accordance with the present invention, the gearbox is made up of top and bottom shells, sandwiching a freely rotating cam plate with spur gear built on the underside. A plurality of slots which depict the loci of the pinch rollers are built on both top and bottom shelves, and interact with spiral slots built on a rotary cam plate to govern the radial position of each pinch roller in full synchronization. The cam plate is driven by rack meshes to the spur gear built on a cam plate. The rack is linked to a recoiling spring on one end and a power button on the other end.  
      In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a metal shaft extended downwardly from the hub of the propeller is enclosed by a conical sleeve. The sleeve is gripped by pinch rollers when closing and thus the propeller is retained in the handle.  
      Additionally in accordance with the invention, a swivel tip with flat-surface is affixed to the propeller hub. The swivel tip dissipates impact when the propeller hits the ceiling when it is launched vertically indoors. As a result, the propeller adheres to the ceiling for a period before gravity overcomes its self-sustaining upward thrust. driving mechanism causes the blades to spin when the flying toy is operated in the first mode.  
      Thus, the first aspect of the present invention is a flying toy comprising:  
      a handle;  
      a landing platform disposed on one side of the handle, wherein the landing platform comprises a receptacle for accommodating a propeller assembly, wherein the landing platform comprises a circular trough, and the propeller assembly comprises a plurality of nozzles dimensioned to land in the trough. The flying toy is operable  
      in a first mode to launch the propeller assembly off the landing platform while the propeller assembly is located in the receptacle, and  
      in a second mode to receive the propeller assembly into the receptacle while the propeller assembly is in flight with a spinning motion, and wherein the fins are made of a shock absorbent material so that when the flying toy is operated in the second mode, the fins hamper a force associated with the spinning motion while the propeller assembly is received into the receptacle. The propeller assembly has a first end, an opposing second end and a shaft connecting the first end to the second end, the shaft defining a spinning axis of the spinning motion, the first end having a plurality of blades to produce a propeller action in air associated with the spinning motion in order to maintain the propeller assembly in the air. Advantageously, the trough is arranged to hold a dispensable material, and the nozzles comprise a mechanical structure for picking up the dispensable material. The dispensable material can be a solution, such as a bubble solution and the mechanical structure comprises a plurality of thin spines distributed in the nozzles.  
      The second aspect of the present invention is a flying toy for launching a propeller assembly, the propeller assembly having a first end, an opposing second end and a shaft connecting the first end to the second end, the shaft defining a spinning axis, wherein  
      the first end comprises a plurality of blades to produce a propeller action in air associated with a spinning motion along the spinning axis for keeping the propeller assembly in the air,  
      the second end comprises an end coupler fixedly attached to the shaft, the propeller assembly further comprising a conical-shaped sleeve disposed over the end coupler, the sleeve independently rotatable relative to the shaft, and wherein the propeller assembly further comprises a plurality of nozzles operatively connected to the shaft and distributed over a circumference in relationship to the conical-shaped sleeve, said flying toy comprising:  
      a launching handle;  
      a driving mechanism disposed on the launching handle, the driving mechanism having a driving coupler adapted to engage with the end coupler of the propeller assembly for causing the blades to spin when the driving mechanism is activated;  
      a plurality of pinch rollers disposed on the launching handle around the driving coupler, the pinch rollers movable between a first position and a second position such that  
      when the driving mechanism causes the blades to spin through the driving coupler, the pinch rollers are moved into the first position to engage with the conical-shaped sleeve in order to keep the propeller assembly in a stable position while the blades are spinning, and  
      when the propeller assembly is ready to be launched, the pinch rollers are moved to the second position away from the conical-shaped sleeve, allowing the propeller assembly to disengage from the driving mechanism and the launching handle; and  
      a platform disposed on the launching handle adjacent to the driving mechanism, the platform having a funnel-shaped receptacle with an aperture to accommodate the pinch rollers and the driving coupler so as to allow the second end of the propeller assembly to locate in the funnel-shaped receptacle when the end coupler of the propeller assembly is coupled to the driving coupler, wherein the platform comprises a circular trough dimensioned to accommodate the nozzles when the propeller assembly is engaged with the landing platform. The launching handle further comprises a chamber to accommodate one or more batteries for providing electrical power to the driving mechanism. The flying toy further comprises  
      a gear box having a first cover and a second cover, each cover having a plurality of linear slots accommodating the plurality of pinch rollers to allow the pinch rollers to move between the first position and the second position; and  
      a cam plate disposed in the gear box between the first cover and the second cover, the cam plate having a plurality of spiral shaped slots interacting with the linear slots, the cam plate having a home position, the plurality of pinch rollers disposed in the linear slots through the spiral shaped slots such that the pinch rollers are located at the second position when the cam plate is at the home position; and  
      a rack movable between a first rack position for activating the driving mechanism and a second rack position for deactivating the driving mechanism, the rack coupled to the cam plate such that 
          when the rack is moved from the second rack position to the first rack position, it causes the cam plate to rotate away from the home position, forcing the pinch rollers to move into the first position, and 
 
 when the rack is moved from the first rack position back to the second position, it allows the cam plate to return to the home position and moves the pinch rollers to the second position. 
       

      The third aspect of the present invention is a propeller assembly comprising:  
      a multi-blade propeller;  
      a shaft connected to the propeller, defining a spinning axis of the propeller; and  
      a nozzle support mounted on the shaft in relationship to the propeller, the nozzle support having a plurality of nozzles having mechanical structure for picking up a liquid when the nozzles are in contact with the liquid. In particular, the liquid comprises a bubble solution and the mechanical structure comprises a plurality of fins for carrying the picked up liquid and for dispersing the liquid when the propeller is spinning.  
      The present invention will become apparent upon reading the description taken in conjunction with  FIGS. 1   a - 10   b.   
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1   a  shows a propeller assembly.  
       FIG. 1   b  shows a propeller launcher, according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2   a  shows a landing platform for use in the propeller launcher, according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2   b  is an exploded view of the launcher handle, according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3   a  is an exploded view of the gearbox assembly.  
       FIG. 3   b  shows the lower half of the gearbox assembly.  
       FIG. 3   c  is a bottom view of the cam plate showing a spur gear meshed to a rack.  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the propeller assembly.  
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the propeller assembly being halfway seated in the platform before it is fully engaged.  
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the propeller assembly being fully engaged in the launcher.  
       FIG. 7   a  is a perspective view of the launcher, according to a different embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7   b  is a cross sectional view of the launcher of  FIG. 7   a.    
       FIG. 8   a  is a perspective view of the propeller assembly, according to a different embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 8   b  is a cross sectional view of the propeller assembly of  FIG. 8   a.    
       FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view showing the propeller assembly being fully engaged in the launcher, according to the different embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 10   a  is perspective view showing the propeller assembly being released from the launcher, according to the different embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 10   b  is a cross sectional view showing the propeller assembly being released from the launcher, according to the different embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Reference is made to  FIGS. 1   a  to  2   b , which illustrate a flying toy according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1   a  shows a propeller assembly  1  that can be used with a launcher  100 , as shown in  FIG. 1   b . The launcher  100  comprises a handle  2  made of two half shells  5  and  6  and a battery cover  7  disposed at the bottom of the handle  2 . As shown in  FIG. 1   b , the launcher  100  further comprises a landing platform  3  disposed on top of the handle  2  and a power button  4  below to the landing platform  3 . Preferably the landing platform  3  is made of a resilient material. As shown in  FIG. 2   a , the landing platform  3  has a funnel-shaped receptacle  38  in the center of the platform so as to catch and to accommodate a propeller assembly  1 . A plurality of fins  34  are distributed over the inner wall of the funnel-shaped receptacle  38  in order to reduce the shock caused by the centrifugal force of a spinning propeller. As shown in  FIG. 2   b , the handle  2  has a gearbox assembly  64 , a battery chamber  46  and a battery cover  7 . The gearbox assembly  64  comprises of a plurality of inverted conical pinch rollers  9  distributed in respective radial positions, a DC motor  8  and a power button  4  extending outwardly. The power button  4  is positioned below the receptacle  38 . A two-prong driving coupler  10  is disposed on top of the gearbox assembly  64 .  
       FIGS. 3   a - 3   c  show the exploded views of the gearbox assembly  64  and some components associated with the gearbox assembly. As shown, the gearbox assembly  64  comprises a rotary cam plate  24 , sandwiched between a top cover  11  and a bottom cover  12 . The top cover  11  has a plurality of linear slots  32  disposed in a radial arrangement. The bottom cover  12  also has a plurality of matching linear slots  33 . These linear slots  32 ,  33  confine the path of each inverted conical pinch roller  9  when the pinch rollers are moved inward before a propeller is launched. The cam plate  24  has a plurality of spiral slots  31  whereupon is seated a bushing  25  adjoined to the pinch roller  9  by means of a knurled shaft  26 . A rack  27  meshes to a rooted spur gear  44  on the bottom section of the cam plate  24 . One end of the rack  27  is connected to a power button  4  by a metal linkage  28 . A recoiling spring  29  is deployed on the other end of the rack  27 . In operation, when the power button  4  is pressed, it drives the cam plate  24  into rotation and forces the pinch roller  9  to move inward along the linear slots  32 ,  33 . A leaf switch  30  is disposed on the moving path of rack  27  such that when the rack  27  travels transversely, the leaf switch  30  is triggered by a stepped shoulder  39  built on one side of the rack  27 . The leaf switch  30  is used to activate a DC motor  8 . The DC motor  8  comprises a motor shaft  40  fitted through the bottom cover  12 , the cam plate  24  and the top cover  11 . The end portion of the motor shaft  40  is press-fitted with the two-prong coupler  10 .  
       FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the propeller assembly according to the present invention. As shown, a multi-blade propeller  15  is fitted with a freely swivel tip  14  in the hub  37 . A steel shaft  17  is inserted through a register ring  16  and is permanently fixed to the multi-blade propeller  15  with a nylon washer  13  in between. The register ring  16  is further connected to a conical sleeve  19  by means of a tube  18 . The register ring  16 , the tube  18  and the conical sleeve  19  come into being one embodiment, yet are free to rotate independently of the multi-blade propeller  15 . On the other end of steel shaft  17 , a nylon washer  20  and a retaining plug  22  with two flat surfaces  41  are located. Further affixed to the retaining plug  22 , are a slave coupler  23  with two studs  42  positioned oppositely and a soft washer  21  in between to reduce any shock that may arise. The slave coupler  23  is allowed to rotate freely within certain angular movements in respect to the retaining plug  22 .  
      Reference is now made to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , particularly to  FIG. 5  which illustrates the propeller assembly  1  being caught with the receptacle  38  by a user. As it is halfway seated in the receptacle  38  of the landing platform  3 , the propeller assembly  1  is restrained by the soft fins  34  built around the funnel-shaped receptacle  38  before it comes to engage with a driving coupler  10 .  
      In the process of launching, the power button  4  is pressed inward along the direction  35 , causing the pinch rollers  9  to converge in order to grip the conical sleeve  19  of the propeller assembly  1 , and to pull the propeller assembly  1  further downward in the direction  36 . As such, the slave coupler  23  is engaged with the driving coupler  10 . Such arrangement provides buffering between the propeller assembly  1  and the receptacle  38 . At the same time, the arrangement minimizes the possibility of a descending propeller to bounce off the receptacle  38  because of the collision between the spinning coupler  23  of the propeller assembly  1  and the driving coupler  10  of the gearbox assembly  64  (see  FIG. 2   b ). In addition, the register ring  16 , properly seated in the opening of the funnel-shaped receptacle  38 , helps maintaining an upright, non-swaying rotating axis of the propeller  1  when the propeller assembly  1  is spun upward.  
      In a different embodiment of the present invention, the landing platform of the launcher has a circular trough to hold a certain dispensable material, such as a powder, small particles or a liquid. As shown in  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b , the launcher  200  comprises a handle  102  made of two half shelves  105  and  106 , a landing platform  103  disposed on the handle  102  and a power button  104  below the landing platform  103 . The landing platform  103  also has a funnel-shaped receptacle  138  in the center of the platform and a plurality of fins  134  distributed over the inner wall of the funnel-shaped receptacle  138 . In this different embodiment, the landing platform  103  has a circular trough  170 . The trough  170  can be used to hold a powder, small particles or a liquid. In particular, the trough  170  can be used to hold a bubble solution  174 .  
      The landing platform  103  is dimensioned to accommodate a propeller assembly  101 . As shown in  FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b , the propeller assembly  101  has a multi-blade propeller  115  connected to a conical sleeve  119  via a shaft  117 . A nozzle support  180  having a plurality of nozzles  182  is mounted between the propeller  115  and the conical sleeve  119 . As shown in  FIG. 8   a , each of the nozzles  182  has a certain mechanical fine-structure  184  for picking up the dispensable material in the trough  170  when the propeller assembly  101  is fully engaged with the launcher  200 , as shown in  FIG. 9 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 9 , when the propeller assembly  101  is fully engaged with the launcher  200 , the nozzles  182  are seated in the trough  170  and are in contact with the dispensable material  174  in order to pick up some of the dispensable material  174 . As such, when the propeller assembly  101  is released or launched from the launcher, the nozzles  182  are able to carry with them some of the dispensable material  174 .  
       FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  show the propeller assembly  101  being released from the launcher  200  as the power button  104  is pressed inward along the direction  135 . As the propeller assembly  101  is spun upward from the landing platform  103 , the dispensable material  174  carried out by the nozzles  182  is scattered along the flying path of the propeller assembly  101 . The dispensable material  174  can be a bubble solution, so that when the propeller assembly  101  is spun upward, some of the bubble solution is scattered along the flying path in the form of bubbles  190 . In order to efficiently pick up the bubble solution in the trough  170 , the fine structure  184  in the nozzles  182  comprises a plurality of thin spines distributed in a circular array inside the nozzles  182 , for example.  
      In sum, according to the present invention, the flying toy has a handle and a driving mechanism to spin a propeller assembly, the propeller assembly having blades on the top end and a freely rotatable conical sleeve on the bottom end. In one embodiment of the present invention, a landing platform is provided on the top of the handle, the landing platform comprises a receptacle to accommodate the propeller assembly. The flying toy is operable in a first mode to launch the propeller assembly off the landing platform while the propeller assembly is located in the receptacle, and in a second mode to receive the propeller assembly into the receptacle while the propeller assembly is in flight with a spinning motion, and wherein the fins are made of a shock absorbent material so that when the flying toy is operated in the second mode, the fins hamper a force associated with the spinning motion while the propeller assembly is received into the receptacle.  
      The landing platform has a trough to hold some dispensable material. The propeller assembly may comprise a plurality of nozzles or the like to pick up the dispensable material when the nozzles are seated in the trough. The nozzles would scatter the dispensable material along the flying path of the propeller assembly as the propeller assembly is spun upward from the launcher. Preferably, the dispensable material is a bubble solution so that when the propeller assembly is spun upward, the propeller assembly leaves a trail of bubbles along its flying path.  
      Thus, although the invention has been described with respect to one or more embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and deviations in the form and detail thereof may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.