Toy top

Abstract

The invention is a novel toy top which appears to defy ordinary performance. The toy top has a top portion, and a bottom portion, and is operable for being spun around with the bottom portion below the upper portion. The top portion is adapted to be rotated by an external rotational force to spin the toy top. The toy top includes means operable for enabling a change in the rotational inertia at a predetermined rate from first value to a second value lower than the first value after the toy top has started to spin, whereby the rotational spinning rate of the toy top initially reduces, and then increases due to the decrease in the rotational inertia of the toy top. Eventually, the toy top monotonically decreases its rotational spin and stops.

Claims

1. A toy top having a central axis, compromising: a stem portion operable for applying a rotational force for rotating said toy top around its central axis; said toy top having an upper interior compartment; said upper interior compartment capable of retaining a predetermined quantity of a liquid; said toy top having a lower interior compartment; said lower interior compartment capable of receiving and retaining a portion of said liquid from said upper interior compartment; said toy top exhibiting a lower rotational inertia when said portion of said liquid is in said lower interior compartment as compared to when all of said liquid is within said upper interior compartment; blocking means operable for selectively inhibiting the movement of said liquid from said upper interior compartment to said lower interior compartment; said blocking means operable to inhibit the movement of said liquid from said upper interior compartment to said lower interior compartment when said toy top has its central axis vertical, and said toy top is stationary, and said blocking means operable to allow the flow of said liquid from said upper interior compartment to said lower interior compartment when the rotational rate of said toy top exceeds a predetermined rotational rate; whereby said toy top increases its rotational speed at least temporarily due to reduction in the rotational inertia resulting from the movement of said liquid from the upper interior compartment to said lower interior compartment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a typical prior art toy top.

(2) FIG. 2A is a front elevational view of a first embodiment of the toy top according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2B is a top plan view of the toy top shown in FIG. 2A.

(4) FIG. 2C is a sectional view of the toy top shown in FIG. 2A along lines 2C-2C.

(5) FIG. 3A is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the toy top according to the invention.

(6) FIG. 3B is a top plan view of the toy top shown in FIG. 3A.

(7) FIG. 3C is a sectional view of the toy top shown in FIG. 3A along lines 3C-3C.

(8) FIG. 4A is a front elevational view of a third embodiment of the toy top according to the invention.

(9) FIG. 4B is a top elevational view of the toy top shown in FIG. 4.

(10) FIG. 4C is a sectional view of the toy top shown in FIG. 4A along lines 4C-4C.

(11) FIG. 4D is a sectional view of the toy top shown in FIG. 4A along lines 4D-4D.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) FIG. 1 shows a front elevational view of a typical prior art toy top 1. Toy top 1 is circularly symmetrical and has the same appearance from every side elevational view. The toy top I is operated by causing it to spin around the imaginary axis 2 (shown in a dotted line) and then placing the toy top 1 on its end 3 on a surface. The typical prior art toy top I is shaped to have much of its mass distal to the axis 2 such as shown in FIG. 1 shown. There are numerous known methods for causing the toy top 1 to spin around its axis 3. The known methods for spinning a toy top include simply using fingers on stem 4, wrapping a string around the stem 4, and pulling the string so the toy top 1 spins, or wrapping a string around the toy top 1, and pulling the string so the toy top 1 spins, or using a known mechanical device or the like to cause the toy top 1 to spin. The invention is not limited to the type of rotational force to start the toy top 1 rotating.

(13) Prior art toy top 1 starts out at a given rotational speed depending on the applied rotational force, and toy top 1 gradually slows down due to friction, and air drag until the toy top 1 falls over. Without the use of an additional external force or an internal motor or the like, the reduction of the rotational speed of the prior art top 1 is decreasing. This reduction of rotational speed is intuitive, and always expected by children and adults.

(14) FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show toy top 10, one embodiment of the invention. The image of toy top 10 shown in FIG. 2A is the same around the toy top 10. The toy top 10 has a top portion 11, and a bottom portion 12. The top portion 11 has a removable portion 13 which can be removed to obtain access to the interior of portion 11. The prior art has many methods of making a removable portion 13 such as having removable portion 13 screw into place, or snap into place, or engage magnetically. The stem 14 is used to create the initial rotation of top 10. The top plan view in FIG. 2B shows opening 15 which can allow air to enter the top portion 11.

(15) The sectional view in FIG. 2C of the toy top 10 taken along line 2C-2C in FIG. 2A shows the curved bottom 16 in the top portion 11 and a second opening 17 blocked by ball 18 to inhibit a liquid 19 in the top portion 11 from moving down to the interior of the bottom portion 12. The curved bottom 16 is concave up to have the liquid 19 flow towards the second opening 17 when the ball 18 is moved away.

(16) When top 10 is rotated around its axis 16, the centrifugal forces on ball 18 will cause ball 18 to move radially to the side wall 20 of the top portion 11. Once ball 18 moves off of opening 17, the liquid 19 in the top portion 11 will tend to go down into the bottom portion 12, thereby moving mass closer to the axis of top 10. The centrifugal force due to the rotation of the toy top 10 will generally keep the ball 18 at the side wall 20 until most, if not all, of the liquid 19 in the top portion 11 moves to the bottom portion 12. This is a design that can be determined easily through trial and error. The factors are the angle of the angle of the inclined bottom portion, and the range of rotational speeds of the toy top 10 when in use.

(17) The changes the inertia of the toy top 10 due to the liquid being added to the bottom portion 12 near the axis 2 will cause the top 10 to speed up its rotation as compared to the speed of rotation for the unchanged toy top 10. The rate of movement of the liquid 19 through the opening 17 can be controlled by the sizes of the openings 15 and 17, and designing the top portion 10 to be air tight except for opening 15. If there were no opening 15, virtually no liquid 19 would pass through opening 17 due to a low pressure being produced above the liquid as soon as some liquid 19 has passed though the opening 17. The interior diameter of the bottom portion 12 can be made relatively narrow to concentrate the liquid close to the axis of the top 10 to increase the effect of the change in inertia.

(18) The liquid 19 can be as simple as water, or a heavier liquid such as oil. The heavier liquid such as oil will produce a larger change in the rotational speed during the operation of the toy top 10.

(19) FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D show another embodiment of the invention. The image of the toy top 110 shown in FIG. 3A is the same around the toy top 110. The toy top 110 appears externally similar to the toy top 10 in FIGS. 3A and 3B; however, there are internal differences, but both of the toy tops 10, 110 operated similarly.

(20) The toy top 110 has a top portion 111, and a bottom portion 112. The top portion 111 has a removable portion 113 which can be removed to obtain access to the interior of portion 111. The prior art has many methods of making a removable portion 113 such as having removable portion 113 screw into place, or snap into place, or engage magnetically. The stem 14 is used to create the initial rotation of top 110. The top plan view in FIG. 3B shows opening 115 which can allow air to enter the top portion 11.

(21) The sectional view in FIG. 3C of the toy top 110 taken along line 3C-3C in FIG. 3A shows the bottom 116 in the top portion 111 and a second opening 117 blocked by ball 118 to prevent a liquid 119 in the top portion 111 from moving down to the bottom portion 12. The bottom portion 116 is concave up in most of its central portion, and concave down around the periphery of the central portion so the liquid 119 in the top portion 111 resides mainly away from the axis of the toy top 112. The concave up portion of the bottom 116 is intended to retain the ball 118 on the second opening 117 when the toy top 110 is not being spun. The size of the second opening 117 and the ball 118 can be determined experimentally to optimize the results. The size and weight of the ball 118 are not critical, but the size of the second opening 117 will greatly impact the rate of flow into the second portion 112, and the change in the rotational speed to the toy top 110 observed during the use of the toy top 110.

(22) When toy top 110 is rotated around its axis 116, the centrifugal forces on ball 118 will cause ball 118 to move radially up the concave up portion of the bottom 116 to the side wall 120 of the toy top 112. Once ball 118 moves off of opening 117, the liquid 119 in the top portion 111 will tend to go down into the bottom portion 112, thereby moving mass to closer to the axis of toy top 110. The centrifugal force due to the rotation of the toy top 110 will generally keep the ball 118 at the side wall 120 or cause the ball 118 to move along the periphery of the bottom 116 away from the opening 117 until most, if not all, of the liquid 119 in the top portion 111 moves to the bottom portion 112.

(23) Alternatively, the ball 118 and the side wall 120 can be selected to be magnetically attracted to each other so the ball 118 would be maintained against the side wall 120 after the ball 118 has been moved from its position on the first opening 117.

(24) The changes in the inertia of the toy top 110 due to the liquid 119 being added to the bottom portion 112 near the axis will cause the toy top 110 to speed up its rate of rotation as compared to the speed of rotation for the toy top 110 before the movement of the liquid 119. The rate of movement of the liquid through the opening 117 can be controlled by the sizes of the openings 115 and 117, and designing the top portion 110 to be air tight except for opening 115. If there were no opening 115, virtually no liquid 119 would pass through opening 117 due to a low pressure being produced above the liquid as soon as some liquid passed though the opening 117. The interior diameter of the bottom portion 112 can be made relatively narrow to concentrate the liquid close to the axis of the top 110 to increase the effect of the change in inertia.

(25) The liquid 119 can be as simple as water, or a heavier liquid such as oil. The heavier liquid such as oil will produce a larger change in the rotational speed during the operation of the toy top 110 as compared to water.

(26) FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D show an additional embodiment of the invention. The image of the toy top 210 shown in FIG. 4A is the same around the toy top 210. The toy top 210 appears externally similar to the toy top 110 in FIGS. 3A and 3B; however, they operate differently to achieve similar results.

(27) The toy top 210 has a top portion 211, and a bottom portion 212. The top portion 211 has a removable portion 213 which can be removed to obtain access to the interior of portion 211. The prior art has many methods of making a removable portion 213 such as having removable portion 113 screw into place, or snap into place, or engage magnetically. The stem 214 is used to create the initial rotation of top 210.

(28) The toy top 210 as shown in FIG. 4C uses heavy balls 200, 201, 202, 203 instead of a liquid to change the mass distribution within the toy top 210 to increase the rotational rate. During the use of the toy top 210, the balls 200, 201, 202, 203 move to the lower portions 212 through opening 205.

(29) FIG. 4C shows a sectional view along lines 4C-4C in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4D shows a sectional view along lines 4D-4D in FIG. 4A. The four balls 200, 201, 202, 203 are positioned on platforms 300, 301, 302, 303, respectively. Each of the platforms are on a surface 220 inclined towards an opening 217 so that when any of the balls 200, 201, 202, 203 is displaced from its platform 300, 301, 302, 303, respectively, gravity will tend to move the ball 200, 201, 202, 203 towards opening 217 and fall into the lower portion 210. The centrifugal force due to the rotation of the toy top 212 may delay the respective balls 201, 202, 203, 204; however, the platforms 300, 301, 302, 303 are preferably close to the inner wall 320 of the interior compartment and the opening 217 is large and close to the platforms 300, 301, 302, 303 so that when any of the balls 200, 201, 202, 203 fall of the respective platforms 300, 301, 302, 303, the ball fall almost immediately into the opening 205 and then the second portion 212. Preferably, all of the balls 201, 202, 203, 204 are about the same weight to simplify the construction and positioning. Each of the balls 201, 202, 203, 204 is smaller than the opening 217.

(30) The balls 200, 201, 202, 203, 204 start out further away from the axis of the toy top 210 and after they fall into the lower portion 212 the rate of rotation of the toy top 212 increases.