Abstract:
An amusement device is provided that can be used as an electric yo-yo and as a mechanism for producing aesthetically pleasing string oscillations. The amusement device includes a battery operated spinning mechanism that can be selectively turned on and off by a person using the device. A flexible tether is provided having a first end and a second end. The first end of the tether is coupled to the spinning mechanism and is spun by the spinning mechanism. A display object is coupled to the second end of the flexible tether, wherein the flexible tether is the only physical interconnection between the spinning mechanism and the display object. The spinning mechanism can be used either to rotate the tether to create oscillations in the tether, or wind the tether, thereby creating a yo-yo with the display object.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/659,009, entitled Spinning Amusement Device With Tethered Object, filed Sep. 11, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to amusement devices that contain a tethered object that spins or whirls. More particularly, the present invention relates to amusement devices that contain a tethered object that spins under power from an electric motor.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    The prior art of toys and amusement devices is replete with many examples of tethered objects that are spun using the tether. Many such prior art devices are spun using manual power. Such prior are devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,307,905 to Ament, entitled Animal Exerciser, wherein a ball is connected to a stick with a tether.  
           [0006]    In the prior art, there also exist many devices where a tethered object is connected to a battery powered motor. As such, objects can be caused to spin without the need of manual exertion. Such prior art devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,844 to Markowitz, entitled Interactive Vibrating Toy and U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,702 to Belokin, entitled Display Having An Electric Motor For Simulating A Flying Object.  
           [0007]    In prior art devices that use electric motors, the tether that connects the motor to the spinning object is typically rigid or at least semi-rigid. The use of a semi-rigid tether holds the tethered object away from the spinning motor. In this manner, the tether does not become entangled around the spinning motor as the tether rotates around the spinning motor.  
           [0008]    A problem associated with using a rigid or semi-rigid tether is that the tether itself tends to have a fixed configuration as it spins. As a result, the tether itself tends to be uninteresting as it spins. In certain spinning amusement device, flexible tethers are purposely used so that the tether itself adds to the optical aesthetics of the device. Such a prior art device is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,126 to Brown, entitled Vibratory Multi-Wave Toy. In the Brown patent, a flexible tether is wrapped around a rigid shaft. As the tether is spun, the tether oscillates at different frequencies and forms interesting patters to observe. The tether is prevented from tangling and wrapping around the motor by the presence of the rigid shaft.  
           [0009]    Although the rigid shaft in the Brown device prevents the tether from tangling, it also severely limits the degrees of freedom in movement that can be experienced by the oscillating tether. Consequently, the shapes into which the spinning tether can be conformed are very limited.  
           [0010]    A need therefore exists in the art for an amusement device with a spinning tether that does not have limitations in its rotational movement, yet has features that prevent the tether from tangling when spun. This need is met by the present invention as it is described and claimed below.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention is an amusement device that can be used as an electric yo-yo and as a mechanism for producing aesthetically pleasing string oscillations. The amusement device includes a battery operated spinning mechanism that can be selectively turned on and off by a person using the device. A flexible tether is provided having a first end and a second end. The first end of the tether is coupled to the spinning mechanism and is spun by the spinning mechanism. A display object is coupled to the second end of the flexible tether, wherein the flexible tether is the only physical interconnection between the spinning mechanism and the display object. The spinning mechanism can be used either to rotate the tether to create oscillations in the tether, or wind the tether, thereby creating a yo-yo with the display object. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of an amusement device in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, shown in the up stroke of a yo-yo application;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown in the down stroke of a yo-yo application;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown in a tether oscillation application;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of an amusement device in a tether oscillation application;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 shown in a free spinning application. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention amusement device  10  is shown. The amusement device  10  is comprised of three primary parts, which are a spinning mechanism  12 , a display object  14  and a flexible tether  16  that interconnects the display object  14  to the spinning mechanism  12 .  
         [0020]    In the shown embodiment, the spinning mechanism  12  includes both a housing  18  and a spool  20 . The housing acts as a handle and provides a structure that can easily be grasped in a user&#39;s hand. In the housing  18  are a motor and batteries to power the motor. The motor is connected to the spool  20 . As a result, as the motor spins, the spool  20  spins. An on/off switch  22  is also located on the housing  18 . The on/off switch  22  controls the operation of the motor. Consequently, by selectively engaging the on/off switch  22 , the spinning of the spool  20  can be controlled.  
         [0021]    One end of the flexible tether  16  is coupled to the spool  20 . As a result, when the spool  20  spins, the spool  20  either causes the tether  16  to wind on the spool  20  or spin with the spool  20 , depending upon the orientation of the spool  20  with respect to the unwound tether  16 . The opposite end of the flexible tether  16  is coupled to the display object  14 . In the shown embodiment, the display object  14  is a rubber ball. However, it will be understood that the display object  14  can be any object, such as an airplane, an insect, a cartoon character or the like. The display object  14  can also be a confection such as a hard candy. In the display object  14  is a located an attachment loop  17  that is attached to a ball bearing within the display object  14 . In this manner flexible tether  16  is free to spin without tangling even if the display object  14  is held stationary.  
         [0022]    The flexible tether  16  is a length of flexible string having no relevant rigidity. The string also may embody elastic properties for a purpose that will later be explained.  
         [0023]    The amusement device  10  has the ability to perform as an electric yo-yo. The spool  20  has a rear end  21  that faces the housing  18  and a forward end  23  that faces away from the housing  18 . Between the rear end  21  and the forward end  23  is a middle section  25 . The middle section  25  has a diameter that is smaller than that of either the rear end  21  or the forward end  23 . In the shown embodiment, the diameter of the middle section  25  increases as it approaches either the rear end  21  or the forward end  23 . However, such a shape is merely exemplary, and it should be understood that many shapes can act as a spool. For example, if two balls were spaced on a shaft, the shaft between the two balls can act as a spool. It should therefore be understood that the present invention spool can be any structure where the middle of the structure is more narrow than the ends of the structure so as to confine the area in which a string can wind.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the display object  14  is left free hanging at an angle generally perpendicular to the axis of the spool  20 . As the spool  20  is rotates, the tether  14  will wind around the spool  20  and the display object  14  will be raised toward the spool  20 .  
         [0025]    Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that when the spool  20  is stopped from spinning and the spool  20  is tilted away from the horizontal, the weight of the display object  14  will cause the tether to unwind from the spool  20 . As a result, the display object  14  falls away from the spool  20 . By selectively causing the spool  20  to spin and stop spinning, via the on/off button  22 , and by changing the angle of the spool  20  relative the tether  16 , a person can cause the display object  14  to rise and fall like a yo-yo.  
         [0026]    Furthermore, the spool  20  can be caused to be free spinning when the on/off switch  22  is moved to the “off” position, Accordingly, a person can wind the tether around the spool  20  by moving the on/off switch  22  to the “on” position. As soon as the tether  16  is wound, the tether can be released by moving the on/off switch  22  to the “off” position. Once the on/off switch  22  is in the “off” position, the weight of the display object  14  will cause the tether  16  to unwind from the spool  20 . Thus, by moving the on/off switch  22  between on” and “off”, a yo-yo effect can be created.  
         [0027]    The amusement device can also be used as a mechanism for producing oscillations in the tether. Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that when a person holds the spinning mechanism  12  and the display object  14 , the tether  16  spins between these two held fixed points. As the tether  16  spins, the tether  16  will oscillate. The amplitude and frequency of the oscillations are dependent upon the length of the tether  16 , the mass of the tether  16 , the rotational speed of the spinning tether  16  and the distance between the spinning mechanism  12  and the display object  14 . Given these variables, it will be understood that the amplitude and frequency of the tether&#39;s oscillations can be selectively varied by changing the distance between the spinning mechanism  12  and display object  14  as they are being held. As the display object  14  and the spinning mechanism  12  are moved together, the amplitude of the oscillations in the tether  16  will increase, while the frequency of the oscillations will decrease. Conversely, as the display object  14  and the spinning mechanism  12  are pulled farther apart, the amplitude of the oscillations will decrease and the frequency of the oscillations will increase. It is preferred that the tether  16  be made of a brightly colored string. As such, the oscillations caused by the spinning tether  16  will be more easily observed.  
         [0028]    If the amusement device  10  is being used to create tether oscillations, the spool  20  serves no functional purpose. Accordingly, it should be understood that the spool  20  can be removed or the amusement device  10  manufactured without the spool  20 . Referring to FIG. 5, an embodiment of the present invention amusement device  50  is shown where the spinning mechanism  52  does not have a spool. Rather, the spinning mechanism  52  contains a motor and a power source to spin a shaft  54 . The shaft  54  is coupled to one end of the tether  56 . As the shaft  54  spins, the tether  56  is caused to spin and oscillations can be created in the tether  56 .  
         [0029]    The amusement device embodies a third method of play that can be performed with a spinning mechanism either having a spool, as in FIG. 4, or not having a spool as in FIG. 5. Referring now to FIG. 6, an embodiment is shown where the spinning mechanism does not include a spool, however, the same method of operation would be present if a spool were used. In this method of operation, the display object  58  is allowed to hang down from the spinning mechanism  52 . The spinning mechanism  52  is then used to spin the tether  56 . Since the display object  58  is free hanging, the display object  58  spins with the tether  56 . However, the spinning tether  56  also has oscillations that are effected by the weight of the display object  58 . The shape of the oscillations can also be changed by moving the spinning mechanism  52  up and down as the tether  56  spins. The result is a rotating tether  56  that takes on complicated and aesthetically pleasing shapes. If the tether  56  has elastic properties, the shape of the spinning tether  56  will change as the display object  58  bounces up and down as it spins. This provides an oscillation shape that appears to periodically pulsate with the vertical movement of the display object  58 .  
         [0030]    The display object  58  shown is a ball having a pattern of different colors on its exterior surface. As the ball spins, the colors swirl together and generate the appearance of a new color that is not present on the ball. For example, if the display object  58  has florescent blue stripes and florescent yellow stripes, the ball will appear to be fluorescent green as the ball spins and the appearance of the colors mix. In alternate embodiments, the ball may have spiral patterns that create aesthetically pleasing designs when spun.  
         [0031]    It will be understood that the various figures described above illustrate only preferred embodiments of the present invention. Features from the different embodiments can be mixed to produce yet further embodiments. A person skilled in the art can therefore make numerous alterations and modifications to the shown embodiments utilizing functionally equivalent components to those shown and described. For example, the spinning mechanism can be embodied in many different forms. The spinning mechanism can be located at the end of an elongated stick, or contained in any other object, such as another ball. All such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.