Abstract:
An easy to manufacture toy figure ( 10 ) simulating a jump shot or a hook shot for simulated games using aerial projectiles, plus a method to play a simulated game of basketball using said toy figure. A base ( 11 ) supports resilient means ( 12 ) which may be bent or compressed and then released to rebound substantially to their original form and position with speed sufficient to throw an aerial projectile ( 15 ) which was placed upon hands ( 14 ) of an animate body ( 13 ) attached to said resilient means. Said resilient means may be provided by a coil, leaf or other type of spring, or by a resilient or elastic material forming a part of the body or the base. Said animate body ( 13 ) may be designed to resemble popular ballplayers for marketing purposes, including player numbers on club color uniforms, with fixed or rotatable arms.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not applicable.  
         FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to toy figures, specifically to toy figures used to project a simulated game aerial projectile.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Various types of simulated games using an aerial projectile, popular with children and adults alike, are known in the art. The projectile is usually propelled by a simple catapult or a spring launcher, which sometimes replace a simulated ballplayer figure at the time of shooting the projectile toward a goal. Neither the launchers nor their substitution for a player figure at a critical point in the game simulate the reality very convincingly. While figures used in simulated games using a surface projectile often mimic the live action fairly well, figures devised for games using an aerial projectile, such as basketball, were so far much less successful.  
           [0004]    Many simulated game inventions propose a catapult or a launcher: U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,242 (Rudell et al., 1998) shows a TWO SIDED BASKETBALL GAME with two simple launchers. U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,801 to Patchin et al. (1959) discloses a vertical TOY CATAPULT DEVICE with a horizontal support for rectangular projectiles. U.S. Pat. No. 2,203,990 to R. J. Haynur (1940) proposes a multiplayer GAME APPARATUS using a molded spring launcher and a projectile with parallel faces indicating a play board position for the next player. U.S. Pat. No. 1,612,699 to C. de V. Cole (1926) for a BASKET-BALL GAME has multiple player pieces, moving to random positions on the play board determined by a roll of dice, replaced for attempts at scoring by a catapult resembling an artillery piece. U.S. Pat. No. 731,850 to R. S. Bradbury (1903) discloses a GAME whereby a blade-spring launcher shoots a ball toward multiple baskets.  
           [0005]    LEGO Sports started selling recently (2003) a type of a basketball player figure with a coil spring connecting its torso to its legs part, allowing the figure to ‘chest-slam’ a ball in a crude simulation of a throw. U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,169 to Saunders (2001) discloses an ARTICULATED TOY FIGURE SIMULATING BASKETBALL PLAY using a spring-loaded mechanism with a trigger and latch to swing an arm forward and downward, flinging a ball toward a basket. U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,758 to F. D. Carson uses a human figure shaped BALL CATAPULTING DEVICE with arms propelled by an elastic strip pulled crank to throw balls either upward from around its knees, or overhead backwards. U.S. Pat. No. 1,433,335 to K. Bensch (1922) discloses a BASKET-BALL TOY using figures with spring-loaded arms holding a cup, pulled by strings to shoot a ball. Probably the most realistically acting prior art figure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,330 to Ozawa (1997.) It shows a TOY BASKETBALL GAME WITH SELF-JUMPING PLAYER ejected from a stationary base and releasing the ball on contact with the basket rim, simulating a so-called ‘slam dunk.’ None of the known figures simulates a player executing a jump shot or a hook shot, perhaps the most common shooting actions in basketball, handball and other games using an aerial projectile.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Accordingly, the present invention provides an easy to manufacture and inexpensive toy figure simulating a jump shot, a hook shot and a ball pass for simulated games using an aerial projectile, such as basketball and others. Several objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide such toy figure, more particularly:  
           [0007]    1. to provide a toy figure throwing an aerial projectile using the energy supplied by resilient means in the form of a coil, leaf or other type of spring, or the energy of a resilient or elastic material forming a part of the figure or of its supporting base, said toy figure having either fixed or rotatable arms;  
           [0008]    2. to provide said toy figure that may be made or decorated to resemble real life ballplayers for marketing purposes, including player numbers on club color uniforms; and  
           [0009]    3. to provide a method of playing a simulated basketball game using at least one said toy figure, where the figures in a game may be either all of the same type or the various designs described in the present invention can be used for different game positions.  
           [0010]    Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    In the drawings, closely related parts have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 shows a toy figure energized by a leaf spring, where the leaf spring is substantially horizontal or inclined on a sharp angle from horizontal. The arms of the figure are shown as fixed.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 shows a similar figure with a substantially vertical leaf spring.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 shows another toy figure propelled by a coil spring, with forearms rotated forward by a string.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 shows a similar toy figure with arms rotated around their shoulder pins by a shaft.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 shows an ‘executive toy’ version with a ball shooting hand on a leaf spring.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 describes a version of a tabletop board for a simulated basketball game using the toy figures described in FIGS. 1 through 5.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 shows a version of dice used to randomly select the next game action. 
     
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    [0019]                                                 REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS                                10   Toy figure   11, 21, 31, 41, 51   Base       12, 22, 52   Leaf spring   13, 23, 33, 43   Body       14, 24, 44   Arms and Hands   15, 25, 35, 45, 55   Ball or Aerial projectile       16   Directional marks   36, 46   Arm pivot       32, 42   Coil spring   32a   Coil spring - bent upper end       32b   Coil spring - bent lower end   32c   As 32b, pushed down       34   Forearm and hand   37   String       38   Arm elbow   39   Pin       40   Flange   47   Shaft       48   Link   49a   Upper pin       49b   Lower pin   54   Hand       61   Play board   62   Half-court markings       63   Full-court markings   64   Position indicia       65   Directional indicia   66   Toy figure of present invention       67   Basket, backboard and stand   68   Counterweight                    
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     FIG.  1 —A Preferred Embodiment  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of my invention—a toy FIG. 10 simulating jump-shooting and ball passing in games using an aerial projectile. Said toy figure comprises a base  11 , resilient means in the form of a leaf spring  12 , and a body  13  in the shape of a ballplayer. Base  11  has a flat bottom surface large enough to provide stability. Spring  12  is attached toward one edge of base  11  and rising in a sharp angle to the horizontal plane over the center of said base, also for stability reasons. Body  13  is coupled to the opposite end of spring  12 . Arms and hands  14  of the figure are fixed in a typical raised jump-shooting position. A ball or other aerial projectile  15  is placed upon hands  14  formed to carry it. Base  11  and body  13  including arms and hands  14  are preferably cast of a plastic or metal material or a suitable equivalent, and attached to spring  12  by an appropriate glue, screws or other comparable method including casting directly around the spring. The spring  12  is formed of a substantially flat rectangular piece of a resilient plastic, metal or other material strong enough to withstand repeated flexing and to impart enough force to propel the ball  15 . The material, length, thickness and angle of the spring will affect the trajectory of the projectile, as will the weight of the projectile and other factors. Directional marks  16  may be placed on the base  11  or the spring  12 . Projectile  15  may be made to the requirements of any particular purpose.  
       Operation of a Preferred Embodiment  
       [0021]    A user places said toy FIG. 10 on a play board over positional or directional indicia if provided. Directional marks  16  can be used to orient the figure toward a target. The user places ball  15  upon hands  14  and bends down spring  12  as indicated by phantom lines  12   a,  estimating the force necessary to shoot ball  15  a desired distance. When spring  12  is released, it rebounds to its original position, carrying body  13 , hands  14  and ball  15  upward and forward on a curve. At the highest point of the curve the ball  15  is thrown in an arc indicated by the upper arrow.  
       Other Embodiments  
       [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 presents a similar toy figure with a substantially vertical leaf spring  22  carrying a body  23  and a ball  25  placed onto hands  24 . To shoot, a user bends spring  22  backward as indicated by phantom lines, while holding a base  21 . When spring  22  is released, a flatter shooting arc will be generated compared to a substantially horizontal spring. This type of toy figure may be positioned near a basket in a simulated basketball game, shooting ball  25  in a way resembling the action of a center or a forward. Arms and hands may be formed to simulate a hook shot, with one arm blocking opponents while the other arm throws ball in a high overhead arc.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 shows an ‘executive toy’ similar in function to FIG. 1. A hand  54  replaces the ballplayer shaped body  13  of FIG. 1. A base  51 , a leaf spring  52  and hand  54  can be all formed together of a clear, black or otherwise colored plastic material or metal, or made of a combination of materials. Spring  52  should be resilient enough to impart sufficient momentum to a ball  55 . A basket with a backboard and a stand formed from a similar material may also be provided. Instead of one hand  54 , a pair of hands may be used.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 shows a partially sectioned view of another type of the toy figure. A coil spring  32  is anchored by its bent upper end  32   a  to a base  31 , and by its bent lower end  32   b  to a body  33 . Each forearm and hand  34  is attached to the body at an arm pivot  36 . A string  37 , representing connecting means, is attached at one end to base  31 , goes through a cavity in body  33  around a pin  39  located in the shoulder area, and attaches to one forearm and hand  34  at an elbow  38 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4: the toy figure uses a coil spring arrangement  42  similar to FIG. 3. Arms and hands  44  rotate around an arm pivot  46  joining them through a hollow body  43  within shoulder area. A shaft  47  is attached to said arm pivot  46  by an upper pin  49   a  and a link  48 . Shaft  47  is fixed rotatably to a base  41  by a lower pin  49   b.  An optional flange  40  provides an easier hold while pushing down body  43 . Rack and pinion assembly could be also used to translate the vertical movement of the body into the rotation of the arms.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 3 and 4 operate in a similar way (numbers for FIG. 4 are in parentheses): the user presses down body  33  ( 43 ) stretching coil spring  32  ( 42 ) while steadying base  31  ( 41 ,) using flange  40  if provided. After forearms and hands  34  (arms and hands  44 ) rotate to a lower position indicated by phantom lines, the user places a ball  35  ( 45 ) upon the hands. When body  33  ( 43 ) is released, spring  32  ( 42 ) pushes the body upward while string  37  (shaft  47 ) force forearms  34  (arms  44 ) to rotate forward. The combined motion pushes ball  35  ( 45 ) upward and forward in an arc indicated by the upper arrows. At the top of the arc the ball  35  ( 45 ) is thrown toward a goal. Both bodies  33  and  43  are preferably cast of a plastic or metal material or a suitable equivalent, with a cavity for connecting means. Rotatable arms or forearms including hands are preferably cast of the same material as the body, and attached to the body by said arm pivot  36  ( 46 ). Said coil spring  32  ( 42 ) is formed of a spring metal wire capable of providing enough force to throw the ball without being too difficult to stretch by an intended group of users. Shaft  47 , link  48 , pins  39 ,  49   a  and  49   b  are preferably made of metal for strength and wear resistance.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6 describes a version of a tabletop play board  61  for a simulated basketball game using the toy figures simulating a jump shot or a hook shot described in FIGS. 1 through 5. The board  61  can have either half-court game markings  62  and one basket, backboard and stand assembly  67  stabilized by a counterweight  68 , or full-court markings  63  partially indicated by dashed lines, with two basket, backboard and stand assemblies  67  on opposite ends of board  61 . The game can use one toy figure of present invention  66  or a plurality of them per team, using either one type of figure or different designs for different positions. For example, the toy figure of FIG. 1 could be used for both guard positions while toy figures shown in FIGS. 2, 3 or  4  would be placed in forward and center positions, one of them based on FIG. 2 simulating a hook shot. The toy figure(s)  66  are placed on position indicia  64  which may be replaced by directional indicia  65  as shown in positions numbered  4 ,  5  (under the toy FIG. 66) and  6  on the board  61 . Directional indicia  65  pointing to the center of a basket should be supplemented by matching directional marks  16  as shown on the toy figure in FIG. 1. The positional and directional indicia could be variously combined on different sides of board  61 , for example to balance different skill levels of users. The game starts with a draw or a roll of standard dice to decide which user should start—the highest or the lowest roll starts the game as agreed by users. If only one toy FIG. 66 is used per side, the starting user puts it on the indicia  64  or  65  corresponding to the number on the dice. If 2 or more FIGS.  66  are used per side (5 as in the real game of basketball etc.,) the user passes a ball to the figure placed in the corresponding position before starting the game. Rolling number 6 on the dice could result in a foul shot from position number 6, or optionally in losing the turn to the next user. Users can take turns rolling the dice and shooting the ball, or can use the dice described in FIG. 7 to determine the action to be taken next. Score can be kept according to the usual basketball rules with one, two or three points per shot. A game ends in any way agreed on—a time limit, certain score reached etc.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 shows a variant of an action die for random determination of the next action to be taken by a user. If a user rolls P (Pass), the ball shall pass to a position optionally determined by a roll of a standard die indicating positions  1  through  6 . User that rolls S (Shoot) may attempt shooting at the goal from the position in possession of the ball. Rolling T (Turn-over) means the loss of the ball to the next user. The 3S-2P-1T probabilities indicated in FIG. 7 can be of course modified.  
       Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope  
       [0029]    Accordingly, the reader will see that the toy figures of the present invention simulate more realistically the jump shot or hook shot action of such aerial projectile games as simulated basketball and others. The toy figures are inexpensive to manufacture and can be shaped and decorated to resemble popular live ballplayers and their game uniforms, providing various marketing opportunities.  
         [0030]    While the above description contains specific embodiments of the invention, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention. Many modifications obvious to those skilled in the art may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the toy figure body can be oriented sideways with one arm formed to shoot a so-called hook shot, the leaf spring can be variously shaped to generate different ball trajectories, a rack and pinion assembly can be used as connecting means in place of string  37  or shaft  47  to rotate the arms, a spring type from one embodiment can be combined with an arm assembly from another, the body can be hand carved from exotic wood in any animate shape, such as an imaginary extraterrestrial being tossing a medium size galaxy and so on. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.