Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Method Of Setting A Boomerang Toy In Motion
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of setting
such a boomerang toy in motion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A boomerang is a generally "V" shaped missile used by
Australian aboriginals to kill prey. The most notable
feature about a boomerang is that it is able to return in
flight to the thrower. It is this ability to return in
flight to the thrower that makes a boomerang suitable for use
as a toy.
The original boomerang was made from hardwood. Such a
boomerang is capable of injuring any person unfortunate
enough to be struck. Boomerang toys are, therefore,
generally made out of materials that will not inflict serious
injury upon a person who is struck.
Although they will not inflict serious injury upon
persons, boomerang toys thrown in the traditional manner are
still capable of knocking over lamps, vases and other
household objects. For this reason, it is recommended that
they be used out of doors.
It is possible to make a miniature boomerang toy which
is completely safe for indoor use made out of light plastic
or paper laminated by one or more layers of plastic. These
boomerang toys have insufficient mass to knock over objects,
but they also have insufficient mass to be thrown in a
conventional manner. When thrown, the boomerang toys merely
flutter to the ground.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is a method of setting such a boomerang
toy in motion.
According to the present invention there is provided a
method of setting a boomerang toy in motion. A first step
involves providing a boomerang toy which has insufficient
mass to be thrown in a conventional manner. The boomerang
toy has a substantially planar generally "V" shaped body with
an apex and two arm portions. The arm portions have an
aerodynamic curvature. The body of the boomerang toy has an
inner edge and an outer edge. A second step involves
supporting the body solely by pinching the apex of the body
between a finger and a thumb of a first hand of a user and
orienting the body at a slightly upwardly angle in
preparation for flight. A third step involves striking one
of the arm portions of the body along the inner edge with an
extended finger of a second hand of the user to initiate
flight.
Using the method, as described above, a boomerang toy
having insufficient mass to be thrown, can be launched and
perform sufficiently to amuse a child.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become
more apparent from the following description in which
reference is made to the appended drawings, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a toy boomerang
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention.
FIGURE 2 is a section view of the toy boomerang
illustrated in FIGURE 1. taken along section lines 2-2 of
FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is a section view of the toy boomerang
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illustrated in FIGURE 1, taken along section lines 3-3 of
FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4 is a section view of the toy boomerang
illustrated in FIGURE 1, taken along section lines 4-4 of
FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred
method of initiating flight o.f the toy boomerang illustrated
in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 6 is a graph relating to the inter-relationship
of surface area, width, thickness and weight in the
construction of a toy boomerang in accordance with the
teachings of the present invention.
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the boomerang toy
illustrated in FIGURE 1 in the process of being launched.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a t.oy boomerang generally
identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described
with reference to FIGURES 1 through 7.
Referring to FIGURE l, boomerang toy 10 comprises a
substantially planar generally "V" shaped body 12 having an
apex 14, a first arm portion 16 and a second arm portion 18.
Body 12 has an inner edge 20 and an outer edge 22.
Referring to FIGURES 2 through 4, body 12 has a substantially
uniform thickness. Body 12 has a top surface 24 and a bottom
surface 26. Body 12 is constructed of a light weight and
substantially rigid material. Material of which body 12 is
constructed can be cardboard or stiff paper or porous plastic
or like material. Beneficial results have been obtained
through the use of a paper stiffened with laminated plastic.
Top surface 24, bottom surface 26, inner edge 20 and outer
edge 22 of body 12 can be laminated with a thin coating of a
water and wear resistant material such as a plastic to
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enhance the durability of boomerang toy 10.
Referring to FIGURE 6, there is provided a graph that
shows the inter-relationship of surface area, width,
thickness and weight. Body 12 constructed as described above
has a weight that is so light that body 12 will not return in
flight when said body 12 is grasped by one of first arm
portion 16 and second arm portion 18 and is thrown, but
instead will flutter to the ground. A special technique is
required for initiating flight of boomerang toy 10, as will
hereinafter be further described. Referring to FIGURE 6,
this graph was produced by testing boomerang toys with
differing flight characteristics. The boomerang toys were
deliberately flown from a distance of 18 inches into an
object representing a cylindrical object representing a glass
containing liquid that was 5 inches tall, two inches in
diameter and had a weight of 35 grams. The graph discloses a
number of zones, including a pass zone, a marginal pass zone,
a marginal fail zone, a don't fly zone and a fail zone. All
boomerangs in the pass zone had good flight characteristics
and yet did not knock over the cylindrical test object. The
marginal pass zone and the marginal fail zone produce
boomerang toys with good flight characteristics, but they
caused movement of the cylindrical test object upon striking
that fell short of knocking it over. Extensions F-F separate
the don't fly zone from the fail zone. All boomerang toys in
the don't fly zone were either too flimsy to fly or had an
insufficient wing surface area to weight ratio that
effectively negated the desired boomerang flight. All
boomerang toys in the fail zone could fly, but generated
enough forward momentum to knock over the cylindrical test
object. Based upon this analysis certain parameters can be
extrapolated. The weight of the boomerang toy should be not
less than .800 grams and not more than 1.80 grams. The
thickness of the boomerang toy should be not less than .008
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of an inch and not. more than .030 on an inch. The wing
surface area of the boomerang toy should be not less than 5.5
square inches and not more than 8 . 0 square inches . It must
be noted, however, that a boomerang toy with a maximum
5 recommended surface area of 8.0 square inches and a maximum
recommended weight of 1.80 grams was able to generate enough
momentum to knock over the cylindrical test object. In order
to ensure compliance throughout the ranges a wing surface
area to weight ratio of approximately 6 to 1 is preferred.
Of course, if one is not concerned about knocking over
objects, the operative range can be dramatically broadened.
Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, first arm portion 16 and
second arm portion 18 both have an aerodynamic curvature.
The aerodynamic curvature of each of first arm portion 16 and
second arm portion 18 includes a downwardly curved section 28
and a substantially planar section 30. The positioning of
downwardly curved section 28 and substantially planar section
30 for each of first arm portion 16 and second arm portion 18
will now be described for boomerang toy 10 that is to be held
in the left hand and propelled by striking with a finger of
the right hand of a user. Referring to FIGURE 2. downwardly
curved section 28 is at outer edge 22 and substantially
planar section 30 is at inner edge 20 of first arm portion 18
of body 12. Referring to FIGURE 3. downwardly curved section
28 is at inner edge 20 and substantially planar section 30 is
at outer edge 22 of second arm portion 18 of body 12.
Referring to FIGURE 4, a central section 32 of body 12 is
substantially planar between apex 14 at outer edge 22 and
inner edge 20.
The preferred method of use of boomerang toy 10 will now
be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 7.
Boomerang toy 10, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, is provided.
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Apex 14 of body 12 is pinched between a finger and a thumb of
the left hand of a user. Second arm section 18 extends
outwardly away from the user's hand. Body 12 is oriented at
a slightly upward angle away from the user's body in
preparation for flight. The outwardly extending second arm
portion 18 is struck sharply along inner edge 20 with an
extended finger of the user' s right hand in a direction away
from the user's body to initiate flight.
Tt will be recognized that a boomerang toy 10
constructed as a mirror image of boomerang toy 10 illustrated
in FIGURE 5 preferably is used by pinching apex 14 between
the thumb and a finger of the user's right hand, and striking
the inner edge 20 of the outwardly extending first arm
portion 16 with an extended finger of the user's left hand.
It will also be recognized that the method of initiating
flight of the boomerang toy, as described, is not suitable
for use in setting a conventional aboriginal boomerang in
motion.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention
as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
