Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 2 ~ 7 S ~
FIELD OF INYENTION
This invention relates to jumping toys and more particularly
to leaping or jumping toys which include elastically deformable
material and the representation of an animal, reptile, insect or
football mounted thereon.
BACKGROUND TO THE INYENTION
Jumping or leaping toys have been available for many years.
For example, United States Patent No. 847,755 describes a
pnematic toy provided with a tube through which air is adapted to be
10 forced into the toy when inflating same and includes a string for
closing the tube and serving to effect a return of the toy after
jumping.
Furthermore, United States Patent No. 1,538,704 relates to a
toy having a resilient member to impact movement to the toy through
impact.
Other arrangements may be found in U.S.P. 2,824,409 which
describes a toy having various parts which ~nclude a skeleton and
feet which co-operate to effect leaping movements.
Moreover, United States patent No. 2,570,584 describes a
20 leaping frog figure activated by a fluid pressure cylinder.
., ~
1~6'7~
And finally, U.S.P. 224,375 discloses a leaping frog toy activated by
mechanical spring elements.
However, the construction and inter-relationship of the moveable
elements present relatively complicated structure incapable of developing any
substantial degree of thrust force.
It is an object of this invention to produce a leaping toy having
relatively a simple construction capable of imparting a significant thrust
force so as to cause the toy to jump.
FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
The broadest aspect of this invention relates to a game comprising: a
board having football representations thereon; a device moveable relative to
said board and having an angularly selectively adjustable surface relative to
said board; and a jumping toy having an original stable shape in the form of a
thin flexible convex surface with two curved perimetral edge formations, said
convex surface adapted to bear against said angularly adjustable surface, when
said jumping toy is manipulatively elastically deformable against said
angularly adjustable surface so as to leap from said angularly adjustable
surface when said convex surface returns to its original shape to land on said
20 board.
- - .
"' ~`"' :' .:
,
' ' `' '', ' "
12~:i7~v'~
- 2A -
Another aspect of this invention related to a jumping toy having a thin
flexible convex surface having a perimetral edge presenting four corners
therealong manipulatively elastically deformable against a second surface so
as to present a quadrilateral edge formation when manipulatively deformed, and
to leap from said second surface when said convex surface returns to its
original shape, wherein adjacent corners along said perimetral edge are
disposed further apart in said deformed position then when said convex surface
returns to its original shape said convex surface including felt material.
Furthermore, another aspect of this invention relates to a jumping toy
having a thin flexible convex surface and having a perimetral edge presenting
four corners therealong manipulatively elastically deformable against a second
surface so as to present a quadrilateral edge formation in the form of a
square when manipulatively deformed, and to leap from said second surface when
said convex surface returns to its original shape, wherein adjacent corners
along said perimetral edge are disposed further apart in said deformed
position then when said convex surface returns to its original shape, said
convex surface including felt material, and wherein said jumping toy includes
a concave surface disposed opposite said convex surface, said concave surface
20 including a representation of a frog.
~1
12~
DES~RIPTION OF DRAWIN~S
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of said leaping toy.
Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of said leaping toy.
Figure 3 is a top plan view of said leaping toy.
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of said leaping toy
manipulatively elastically deformable against a second surface prior
to jumping.
Figure 5 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of a
leaping toy presenting two curved perimetral edges.
Figure 6 is a side elevational view of Figure 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Identical elements have been given identical numbers
throughout the figures.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 generally illustrate the jumping toy or
leaping frog 2. The jumping toy 2 is comprised of a thin flexible
material such as rubber or the like having a convex surface 3 and a
concave surface 4 having a generally quadrilateral perimetral edge 6.
In the preferred embodiment described herein the perimetral edge 6
presents a square when deformed.
. ' ` ~"'' ~' .:
' ~`. ~.' .
lZ67~3'~
The concave surface 4 may present the representation of an
animal, reptile or insect. In the preferred embodiment the concave
surface presents a representation of a frog with eyes 8 and legs 10,
11, 12 and 13.
The jumping toy 2 is adapted to bear against a second surface
14 and leap therefrom. In particular, the convex surface 3 is adapted
to bear against such second surface 14 and is manipulatively
elastically deformable as illustrated in Figure 4.
The jumping toy 2 is manipulatively elastically deformable to
10 the position illustrated by the hidden lines 6d in Figure 3 and by
Figure 4 by placing the forefinger and thumb of one hand against the
concave surface 4 adjacent legs 10 and 11 respectively and placing
the forefinger and thumb of the other hand against the concave
surface 4 adjacent legs 12 and 13 respectively and simultaneously
pressing both forefinger and thumb downwardly towards the second
surface 14 in the direction illustrated by Arrow A in Figure 1. By
manipulatively deforming the toy 2 as described the toy 2 takes on
the shape illustrated in Figure 4 whereby the perimetral edge
formation 6 bears against second surface 14 and the convex surface 3
20 is flexible inverted as to temporarily retain the shape of a concave
surface as illustrated in Figure 4. Such manipulation stores
potential thrust energy which causes the toy 2 to leap upwardly in
the direction of Arrow B upon release of the fingers and thumb from
toy 2.
.
:
- lZ6753'~
-- 5 -
Furthermore Figure 3 illustrates that the perimetral edge
formation 6 is displaced to the position marked 6d when the jumping
toy 2 is manipulatively deformed so as to present a square perimetral
edge. Moreover the distance X in the top plan view of Figure 3
between the corners of the square in the deformed position is greater
than the distance Y in the top plan view of Figure 3 in the original
position.
It has been observed that when the jumping toy 2 has been
deformed to the position illustrated in Figure 4 and the forefinger
10 and thumb of each hand are slightly pressed together to move legs 10
and 12 together and legs 11 and 13 together respectively, then there
is a slight delay action in the leaping of the toy frog 2 from second
surface 14.
Although leaping frog 2 may be constructed from most flexible
material it has been found that the leaping frog 2 may be constructed
by cutting a tennls ball having a diameter of 6.3 cm (not shown) and
applying the eyes 8 and legs 10, 11, 12 and 13 to the concave surface
formed therefrom. Yarious experiments in selection of the
configuration of the leaping toy have been undertaken and the results
20 are outlined below. More particularly the tennis ball (not shown)
referred to earlier was cut so as to present the following perimetral
edges and which resulting surface was manipulatively deformed and the
following results observed.
.
12~ 53~:~
-- 6 --
Dimension of
Observation Perimetril Edge Result
1 6 cm diameter did not jump as surface
stretched beyond elastic
limit
2 S cm diameter did not jump as surface
stretched beyond elastic
limit
p
3 5 cm diameter did not invert as the shape
was too shallow and there
was little elastic
stretching
4 6 cm by S cm
Lenticular
shape 70 cm jump
6 cm by 4 cm
Lenticular
shape 20 cm jump
,
- - ,
, ' ~ '.
",, ` '
" .
. ....
, -
;'7~3`-~
-- 7 --
6 6 cm by 3 cm
Lenticular
shape did not jump as the shape
was too shallow and there
was little elastic
stretching
The lenticular shape referred to above is best illustrated in Figures
5 and 6. The 6 cm dimensions referred to in Observations 4, 5, and 6
refers to the length L while the 5, 4, or 3 cm dimensions refer to
10 the width W of the lenticular shape.
7 6 cm distance
from corner to corner
of a quadrilateral
prior to deformation did not jump as surface
stretched beyond elastic
limit
8 5 cm distance
from corner to corner
of a quadrilateral
prior to deformation 97 cm jump
: , :. -
. . .
12tj~S3'~
-- 8 --
9 4 cm distance from
corner to corner of a
quadrilateral prior
to deformation did not invert as shape was
too shallow and there was
- little elastic stretching
The configuration outlined in observation 7, 8, and 9 were
constructed by cutting a tennis ball in half and then taking one
sphere and inverting same, and then cutting the periphery of the
10 sphere to present a square edge; such cut sphere was then inverted to
its original position and the distances between the corners of the
square were measured and presented the 6 cm, 5 cm and 4 cm dimensions
referred to in observation 7, 8, and 9.
Figure 5 and 6 illustrate the jumping toy 2 having the
lenticular shape referred to above. Such jumping toy 2 presents two
curved perimetral side edges 100 and a convex surface 102 which is
adapted to bear against a second surface 104 and is manipulatively
elastically deformable as referred to earlier so as to leap therefrom
when the convex surface returns to its original shape.
The jumping toy 2 also presents a concave surface 106 which
includes a representation of a football.
. ~..
~Z~ ;3~
g
The jumping toy 2 having the lenticular shape illustrated in
Figure 5 and 6 may be used with a surface 104 which is angularly
adjustable from the horizontal so as to adjust the parabolic flight
path 120 of toy 2.
- Such jumping toy 2 illustrated in Figure 5 and 6 may then be
included in a kit or simulated football game with the adjustable
surface ~0 and a sheet (not shown) having football yard lines
markings marked thereon.
Although the preferred embodiment as well as the operation and
10 use have been specifically described in relation to the drawings, it
should be understood that variations in the perferred embodiment
could easily be achieved by a man skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the
invention should not be understood to be limited to the exact form
revealed by the drawings.
